Former Mike Arroyo spokesman is Palparan’s lawyer

Jovito Palparan Jr. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

A former spokesperson and lawyer of Jose Miguel Arroyo, the husband of former President and Pampanga Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, has emerged as the counsel of fugitive retired Major General Jovito Palparan.

Jesus Santos on Thursday confirmed that he had entered his appearance as a lawyer for Palparan with the Malolos Regional Trial Court where Palparan is facing charges in connection with the disappearance of two student activists in 2006.

“I’m a practicing lawyer. I was hired to be his lawyer,” Santos said. He said he had “disengaged” as a counsel for Arroyo.

Santos said Palparan should be hailed for his “great contributions as a great soldier of this country.”

The trial by publicity of Palparan should stop and the media should try to find out “who is Jovito Palparan,” and not just call him names like “the Butcher” or “berdugo (executioner),” he said.

Asked if he would advise Palparan to finally surface and face the charges, Santos said the retired general’s lawyers can defend him in court even in his absence.

Asked if he knew where Palparan was, Santos replied: “In the first place, I have not talked to him.” He said he was hired by the Palparan camp but declined to elaborate on how this happened or who arranged it.

“Curious coincidence, Mr. Watson,” commented lawyer Edre Olalia of the National Union of Progressive Lawyers.

But Olalia said Palparan was entitled to a lawyer of his choice. “We don’t judge the accused based on who his lawyer is,” he said in a phone interview.

He dared Palparan to “fight it out in court instead of cowering in the darkness.”

The Malolos court issued an arrest warrant against Palparan and three others in connection with allegations that they abducted and detained missing students Sherlyn Cadapan and Karen Empeño five years ago.

With retired M/Sgt. Rizal Hilario, Lt. Col. Felipe Anotado and S/Sgt. Edgardo Osorio, he is charged with kidnapping and detaining Cadapan and Empeño, who disappeared in Hagonoy, Bulacan province in 2006 and have not been seen since.

Anotado and Osorio surrendered to authorities a day after the court issued the arrest warrant while Palparan and Hilario went into hiding.