AFP officer dies during fitness test

MANILA, Philippines - A senior military officer, who used to serve as one of former President Fidel Ramos’ close-in security personnel, died while undergoing a routine physical fitness test (PFT) at the Camp Aguinaldo parade grounds Thursday morning.

Philippine Air Force (PAF) Col. Richard Parcon, 54, the deputy adjutant general of the Armed Forces of the Philippine (AFP) was near the finish line of the standard two-mile run when he collapsed in front of the AFP Grandstand at about 6:35 a.m.

Military medics rushed him to the AFP Medical Center, where he was declared dead on arrival, according to reports reaching the office of AFP chief Gen. Jessie Dellosa. The AFP has yet to officially release the cause of his death.

All military officers and enlisted personnel are required to undergo regular PFTs to keep them in shape while in the service. Military doctors are supposed to examine the blood pressure of all participants.

Parcon was given the green light to take the PFT. He finished the requisite two minutes of pushups and two minutes of situps before taking the two-mile run.

Parcon’s remains lie at the PAF mortuary at the Villamor Air Base in Pasay City.

In January last year, then Philippine Marines operations chief Lt. Col. Leonard Vincent Teodoro collapsed and died minutes after he completed the PFT as one of the requirements for his promotion.