De Lima asks whereabouts of 2 military officers in abduction of UP students

MANILA, Philippines—Justice Secretary Leila de Lima has asked the Department of National Defense and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) that her agency be informed on the whereabouts of two military officers accused in the abduction of two missing University of the Philippines students.

In her two-page letter to Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin and AFP Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Jesse Dellosa dated Jan. 9, 2012, De Lima said they were not given a copy of an order from the Malolos City Regional Trial Court Branch 14 allowing the transfer of Lt. Colonel Felipe Anotado Jr. and Staff Sergeant Edgardo Osorio to the Army Custodial Management Unit in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City. Osorio and Anotado are the co-accused of retired Gen. Jovito Palparan, who is currently in hiding.

De Lima also said they were not even given a copy of the motion filed by the Intelligence and Security Group (ISG) before the Malolos Court that asked that it be granted custody of Anotado and Osorio.

She added that since the transfer of the two, they were not informed about the details of their transfer.

“As the primary prosecuting arm of the government, we are entitled to timely official information from the AFP or the Philippine Army as to where the accused are presently confined and if they were confined at all. The AFP and the Philippine Army likewise have not provided us official information as to the condition of the accused, their prison regimen, their visiting hours and whether they are confined together, separately or with the general population of military inmates,” De Lima said.

De Lima explained that “we will need these crucial facts as gathered by the Provost Marshal General for court pleadings that will be filed by the prosecution.”

Osorio and Anotado surrendered to the authorities on Dec. 21, 2011, after warrants of arrest were issued against them. Last December 23, they were moved to the military custody on grounds of threat to their security.

Anotado and Osorio, along with Palparan, are facing charges of kidnapping and serious illegal detention for the abduction of still missing UP students Karen Empeno and Sherlyn Cadapan.