Palparan acquittal in Manalo siblings’ case dismays progressive groups

Rep. France Castro — INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — Different progressive groups have expressed dismay with the acquittal of retired Army Maj. Gen. Jovito Palparan in a case about the kidnapping and illegal detention of two siblings in Bulacan in 2006, saying that the ruling casts a doubt on the justice system.

In a statement on Friday night, ACT Teachers Rep. France Castro said they are disappointed with the Malolos Regional Trial Court Branch 19’s decision to acquit Palparan of charges involving the abduction of Raymond and Reynaldo Manalo, as it is a grave injustice to the victims.

Palparan, another soldier, and military auxiliary force members were accused of abducting the two brothers who were accused of being communist fighters.

“The acquittal of General Palparan is a grave injustice to the victims and their families. It sends a chilling message that those who commit heinous crimes against innocent civilians can evade punishment,” Castro said.

“The case of Raymond and Reynaldo Manalo is a glaring example of the rampant human rights violations in our country. Their harrowing experience of abduction and torture highlights the urgent need for justice and accountability. The acquittal of General Palparan only adds insult to the already deep wounds suffered by the victims and their loved ones,” she added.

Rights group Karapatan meanwhile questioned why the case was dismissed when the evidence and testimonies presented were supposedly “truthful, credible, and consistent.”

Karapatan is also perplexed why the Malolos court acquitted Palparan when it was them who testified that University of the Philippines (UP) students Sherlyn Cadapan and Karen Empeno were detained by Palparan and had torture marks on them.

Palparan was found guilty in 2018 of kidnapping Cadapan and Empeño.  He is currently serving life imprisonment at the New Bilibid Prison.

“We are enraged at how this dishonorable court junked the truthful, credible and consistent accounts of the Manalo brothers, which have been affirmed many times over by several courts including the Supreme Court, when they stood as key witnesses against Palparan et.al. in the abduction and disappearance of UP students Sherlyn Cadapan and Karen Empeno. Palparan et.al.,” Karapatan said.

“We are appalled at how this court crassly disregarded the history and legal battle that the case of the Manalo brothers have gone through for 16 years since he was abducted by Palparan’s men in 2007. This court’s unspeakable, dastardly act invalidated the abduction, enforced disappearance, torture, and sufferings endured by the Manalo brothers. Is this part of a grand scheme that will enable Palparan et.al.’s pardon in the near future?” the group asked.

READ: Palparan guilty of kidnapping UP students 

Castro also took notice of the Manalo brothers’ role in the legal proceedings that led to Palparan’s conviction in the Cadapan and Empeño, saying that even the Supreme Court found the siblings’ testimonies credible.

READ: Palparan and the ‘desaparecidos’: ‘Nunca Más’ 

Yet, the lawmaker said the Malolos court chose to acquit Palparan.

READ: Badoy claims retired Gen. Palparan a victim of ‘trumped-up charges’

“Such an acquittal even with the facts found credible by the Supreme Court as the Manalo brothers recounted how they talked with Palparan and they were able to interact with Karen Empeno and Sherlyn Cadapan and Manuel Merino, but still the RTC acquitted him,” Castro said.

“We call on the government to ensure that justice is served, and that perpetrators of human rights abuses are held accountable. We urge the immediate filing of an appeal to rectify this grave miscarriage of justice,” she added.

JPV