Palparan imprisonment ‘partial victory’ for Empeños

Concepcion Empeño

It has been eight months since retired Army Maj. Gen. Jovito Palparan was sent to jail after being found guilty of the kidnapping and serious illegal detention of University of the Philippines (UP) students Karen Empeño and Sherlyn Cadapan.

But Karen’s mother, Concepcion, said Palparan’s 40-year sentence was only a partial victory in their fight for justice.

“Even though Palparan is now behind bars, this kind of justice is inadequate. It’s not enough for all the atrocities, violence and evil that he waged in the country under the then Arroyo regime,” said Concepcion Empeño, a 69-year-old retired teacher.

‘Desaparecidos’

Together with student activists and families of the “desaparecidos,” Empeño attended on Wednesday at UP Diliman the 13th commemoration of Karen and Sherlyn’s abduction.

On June 26, 2006, Karen, 22, and Sherlyn, 29, were kidnapped by gunmen in Hagonoy, Bulacan province, while conducting academic research.

They were never seen again.

Extrajudicial killings

“We hope that under the Duterte administration, there would eventually be an end to cases of desaparecidos and extrajudicial killings,” Empeño said.

Despite Palparan’s imprisonment, she said their fight for justice remained “very much alive.”

“Karen’s father died on April 27. He died without us obtaining absolute justice for our daughter,” she said.

“But if not for the people who continue to support us—UP students, activists and other families and groups—maybe we won’t be standing here anymore,” she added.

In May 2011, the families of Karen and Sherlyn filed criminal charges, including torture and rape, against Palparan and several other soldiers.

They accused the retired general of serious physical injuries, arbitrary detention, maltreatment of prisoners, grave threats and coercion.

A regional trial court in Malolos, Bulacan, found Palparan guilty of the charges in September last year.