Palace: Press hunt for Palparan

Jovito Palparan Jr. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

Malacañang has ordered law enforcement agencies to continue the hunt for retired Major General Jovito Palparan even if, as Justice Secretary Leila de Lima had admitted, the government had no lead on his whereabouts.

Palparan is wanted for kidnapping and the disappearance in 2006 of University of the Philippines students Sherlyn Cadapan and Karen Empeño. Both remain missing.

“We will not give up looking for General Palparan or other fugitives from the law. We are reminding law enforcement agencies that the capture of these fugitives is a necessary part of the process and it has to be done wholeheartedly,” Secretary Ricky Carandang, head of the Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office, said at Thursday’s Palace news briefing.

“So we remind law enforcers of their duties,” he added.

Carandang also said he saw nothing wrong with De Lima’s admission which indicated a sense of cluelessness as far as Palparan was concerned.

Asked if Malacañang was not disappointed that such a comment would come from De Lima, Carandang said, “I don’t know the context in which Secretary De Lima was making that statement.”

“If she feels that the trail has gone cold for now, maybe that’s just an assessment of where the manhunt is,” he said.

“But the trail blows hot and cold and I don’t think that’s going to stop anyone from pursuing General Palparan,” he added.

Palparan tried to flee the country in December but immigration officers stopped him at the airport. He has since gone into hiding.

Two of his coaccused, Lt. Col. Felipe Anotado and S/Sgt. Edgardo Osorio, are detained at Fort Bonifacio. Another soldier implicated in the crime, M/Sgt. Rizal Hilario, also remains at large.

Originally posted at 04:39 pm | Thursday, April 19,  2012