MANILA – Retired Philippine Army Major General Jovito Palparan Jr. and two others were found guilty of kidnapping and serious illegal detention charges.
Palparan, Lieutenant Colonel Felipe Anotado and Staff Sergeant Edgardo Osorio were sentenced to reclusion perpetua, according to the verdict of Judge Alexander Tamayo of the Regional Trial Court Branch 15 in Malolos, Bulacan.
The charges stemmed from the disappearance of two University of the Philippines students Karen Empeño and Sherlyn Cadapan 12 years ago.
Another suspect, Rizal Hilario, was still at large.
The court issued the ruling on Monday.
Tamayo also ordered the transfer of Palparan from his detention cell in the Army headquarters in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City to a regular jail cell.
Palparan and his co-accused were told to play the victims’ families P100,000.
The mothers of Empeño and Cadapan welcomed the verdict. They said Palparan and his co-accused should not be given any special treatment.
“We are only two of the many families who are happy with the court’s decision to convict Palparan,” said Concepcion Empeño. “We are thankful that the courts recognized the truth.”
While happy with the “victory,” Linda Cadapan called it “partial” as they still needed to see their daughters.
“All victims and relatives from Southern Tagalog to Eastern Visayas [and] Central Luzon, where our daughters were abducted and disappeared, share this victory,” she said. “However … the next question … where are our children?”
The mothers also hoped Palparan’s conviction “will be used to shed light on the fate of desaparecidos under his watch.”
“Until then, we shall continue searching for our daughters, and together will the families of all those killed and disappeared, we shall continue,” they said.
Empeño and Cadapan were allegedly abducted by armed men wearing bonnets on June 26, 2006 in Hagonoy, Bulacan. Based on witness accounts, they were tortured to death by Palparan’s men.
The National Union of People’s Lawyers, which counseled Cadapan and Empeño’s families, considered the verdict a warning to human rights violators.
“Palparan’s conviction sends the message that cocky perpetrators of hideous human rights violations will meet their match in the fortitude of the mothers, the strength of the mass movement, the courage of human rights defenders and the value of good lawyering of the people,” the NUPL said.
PALPARAN LASHES OUT AT JUDGE
Tensions arose when the verdict was being handed out as, according to a report by dzBB AM radio, Palparan screamed at Judge Tamayo and called him “duwag” (coward) and “gago” (stupid) despite being warned that he could be cited for contempt.
After the promulgation, Palparan denied his involvement in the disappearance of Empeño and Cadapan and criticized witness Raymond Manalo.
“When (Manalo) was called to witness in this court, bigla siyang nagbago ng statement,” Palparan told reporters. “After nine years sinabi niya nakita daw niya ako na nandoon sa sasakyan (during the abduction).”
“Why did he come out only after nine years?” Palparan added. “Wala akong kinalaman sa pagkawala nila. Hindi ko nga alam diyan sa witness na iyan.”
During the hearing Manalo identified Palparan as the one behind the disappearance of the students. He also testified that he met Empeño and Cadapan in Camp Tecson where they were all held.
Manalo, a farmer from San Ildefonso, Bulacan, said he was abducted along with older brother Reynaldo by the Army’s 24th Infantry Battalion for one and a half years starting Feb. 14, 2006.
Department of Justice secretary Menardo Guevarra welcomed the conviction.
“Justice may come a bit late, but it does come. Let’s believe in that,” said Guevarra./PN
