Jovito Palparan Jr. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
Top security officials urged fugitive retired Army Major General Jovito Palparan to surrender and face the kidnapping charges against him for the 2006 disappearance of two University of the Philippines students.
Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin and Armed Forces Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Jessie Dellosa said the best course of action for Palparan would be to turn himself in so he can personally refute the allegations.
“It’s better if he surrenders so that he can explain his participation and his non-participation in the cases filed against him,” said Gazmin who was interviewed at the AFP New Year’s Call in Camp Aguinaldo Tuesday.
But Gazmin said he welcomed the recent statement from the Association of Generals and Flag Officers (Agfo), an organization of past and present military officers, calling for an end to the “undue trial by publicity” against Palparan and denouncing his portrayal in some media reports as a “serial killer.”
“It’s not that (Agfo) is taking sides with Palparan. All they’re saying is there should be no trial by publicity. Their statement comes at the right time so that this problem will not worsen. It’s best if General Palparan will come out to face the charges against him,” Gazmin said.
A former Army commanding general, Gazmin described Palparan as “hard-working and kind.”
Dellosa said Palparan should face the charges against him in court so he can prove his innocence.
“This is actually his opportunity to prove that he is not guilty, that he is innocent,” he said in a separate interview.
But the two officials refuted Agfo’s warning about demoralization in the military if leftist groups are allowed to take advantage of the publicity surrounding Palparan’s case.
“They are demonizing the person, not the institution,” said Gazmin.
Dellosa denied that Palparan’s prosecution is dampening the morale of officers and troops.
“General Palparan’s case has no effect on our troops. I assure you, there’s no effect on our troops. There’s no demoralization,” he said.
Kidnapping raps
The Department of Justice has filed kidnapping and illegal detention charges before the Malolos regional trial court against Palparan and three other Army soldiers for the disappearance of UP activists Sherlyn Cadapan and Karen Empeño in 2006.
His coaccused, Lt. Col. Felipe Anotado and S/Sgt. Edgardo Osorio, who are still in active service, have turned themselves in and are now detained in the Fort Bonifacio Army headquarters.
The other coaccused M/Sgt. Rizal Hilario, who has been absent without leave since 2008, is also at large.
According to Gazmin, they have not heard from Palparan since the arrest warrant was issued against him.
He said the military is not involved in the manhunt for Palparan, who has a P500,000 bounty for his capture, and that the Philippine National Police and the National Bureau of Investigation, an agency under the DOJ, are the ones on the case.
“We are not conducting a manhunt against Palparan but what we did was issue a watch-out bulletin at the airports in case he attempts to get out of the country. We have no manhunt,” he said.
Dellosa said the PNP has not asked for the military’s assistance to arrest Palparan.
According to Gazmin neither the defense department nor the AFP would be extending any legal assistance to Palparan as “he is no longer part of the military institution.” With a report from DJ Yap