Communist rebels welcome charges vs Palparan

TACLOBAN CITY, Philippines—The Communist Party of the Philippines welcomed the filing of charges against retired Major General Jovito Palparan Jr. even if it was “overdue.”

“It cannot be denied, however, that the charges are long overdue, almost a year and a half since the Aquino regime came to power. The Filipino people are growing increasingly impatient over the absence of urgency in the filing of criminal charges against General Palparan,” the communist group said in a statement posted on their website.

Palparan was stopped last Monday by immigration officials at the Diosdado Macapagal international airport in Clark, Pampanga from taking a Singapore-bound flight as his name was not yet taken out from a watch-list order issued against him but has since expired.

Palparan, along with three other military officers, has been charged in a Bulacan regional trial court for the abduction and illegal detention of University of the Philippines students Sherlyn Cadapan and Karen Empeño in 2006

Judge Teodora Gonzales of Bulacan Regional Trial Court Branch 14 also issued the arrest warrant for Palparan and three other military officers—Lt. Col. Felipe Anotado Jr., M/Sgt. Rizal Hilario of the 7th Infantry Division based in Fort Magsaysay, Nueva Ecija, and S/Sgt. Edgardo Osorio, who is assigned to the Army’s 24th Intelligence and Security Group in Fort Bonifacio.

Palparan served Eastern Visayas in 2005 as commanding general of the 8th Infantry Division based in Catbalogan City.

Human rights activists claimed that soldiers committed over 500 incidents of human rights violations during Palparan’s stint as the region’s top Army official.

The CPP said Palparan should be held accountable for all the abuses he committed while he was an active official of the Army.

Dean Lacandazo, acting secretary-general of the human rights group Katungod-Sinirangan Bisayas, said the filing of charges against Palparan was the start of the “fruits” of their clamor for justice for human rights victims during Palparan’s term.

“Justice is still a long road ahead. Palparan’s blood debt is beyond the scales of justice …,” Lacandazo said.