Updated (6:15 p.m.)
Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) chief Ronald Dela Rosa on Monday assured that former Major Gen. Jovito Palparan will not get special treatment when he is transferred to the New Bilibid Prison (NBP).
“He will be treated just like any other ordinary inmate na tinu-turn over dito sa amin,” Dela Rosa told reporters in an interview.
“Kapag safety naman ang pinag-uusapan natin, madami naman tayong tao na pwede mag-monitor sa kanyang safety doon,” he added.
“Anong special treatment na ibigay ko sa kanya ‘don? Pare-pareho lang naman silang magsa-suffer sa over-congestion (What special treatment can I give him there? All of them will suffer from congestion, anyway),” Dela Rosa said in an ambush interview with reporters on Monday.
The former police chief asked how Palparan could possibly receive special treatment when the luxurious tents of high-profile inmates have been destroyed.
“Sana kung meron tayong kubol doon na kagaya no’ng kubol noon nila (Herbert) Colangco, nila ni JB Sebastian, nila Peter Co na magaganda, ‘yon special treatment (If the tents of high-profile inmates like Colangco, JB Sebastian, and Peter Co are still there, then there could possibly be special treatment),” Dela Rosa said.
“Pero ngayon wala na ‘yon eh. So normal, kung saan naka-higa ‘yong (inmates), doon sila matutulog, just the same (Those were gone, so the inmates sleep in the same area),” he added.
Judge Alexander Tamayo of the Malolos Regional Trial Court (RTC) ordered Palparan to be committed to the maximum security compound of the NBP. He is currently detained at the Army Custodial Center in Fort Bonifacio in Taguig City.
The Malolos RTC on Monday found Palparan guilty of kidnapping and serious illegal detention over the disappearance of two University of the Philippines (UP) students Sherlyn Cadapan and Karen Empeño in Hagonoy, Bulacan on June 26, 2006.
READ: Palparan guilty of kidnapping UP students
The former military officer was initially detained at the Bulacan provincial jail but due to security concerns, the court granted his transfer to the Army Custodial Center at Fort Bonifacio.
As of posting time, Dela Rosa said Palparan has not been turned over yet to the BuCor. But once he is under their custody, he will undergo briefings with the Reception and Diagnostic Center (RDC) for 60 days before he is placed at the maximum security compound.
Palparan will also be in quarantine for five days to undergo medical examination to determine his state of physical and mental health.
“Then magkakaroon siya ng briefing about the prison rules and regulations (He will be given a briefing on prison rules and regulations). The remaining 55 days will be used for assessment purposes. After 60 days, he will be ready for transfer na sa kanyang regular (to his) dormitory,” he noted.
Berdugo inside Bilibid?
Dela Rosa said that he will ensure that Palparan, who was branded by activists as “berdugo” or executioner, can neither boss around anyoe inside the New Bilibid Prison nor turn his attention to other convicts.
“Hindi siya pwedeng maging berdugo ‘don, pantay-pantay lang naman sila. ‘Don sa labas pwede kang maging berdugo, may hawak kang armas, may hawak kang mga tao, eh doon wala naman siyang hawak (He cannot be an executioner there. They will be treated the same way. Outside prison, he can be an executioner if he is armed and he has people. In prison, he has none of those),” he said.
De la Rosa also gave assurances that Palparan will be safe inside the maximum compound, especially since another ex-Major General, in the person of former Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Comptroller Carlos Garcia, is also there.
“Safe na safe siya doon, in fact hindi lang naman siya ang unang high-profile na nandoon. Nandoon pa nga ‘yong isang general natin sa AFP, si General Garcia, ‘yong dating comptroller (He is very safe there. In fact, he is not the only high-profile inmate there. Former AFP comptroller General Garcia is also there),” he added. /kga /ee