Fugitive Philippine Army Maj.Gen. Jovito Palparan is helped to his seat during a news conference at the National Bureau of Investigation following his capture by NBI agents Tuesday, Aug.12, 2014 in Manila, Philippines. AP
MANILA, Philippines – Malacañang on Tuesday assured the public that there will be no special treatment for retired Army Major General Jovito Palparan.
“Mahalaga rito ‘yung pagpapakita sa ating mga mamamayan ng patas na pagtrato at ‘yung pagtalima sa batas na walang kinikilingan, walang binibigyan ng espesyal na pagturing, at dapat pairalin lamang ang mga probisyon ng batas. ‘Yan ang isasagawa patungkol kay General Palparan at sa ibang mga nasa kustodiya ng ating pamahalaan,” Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said in a press briefing.
(What is important is that the people see that there is equal treatment of suspects in accordance to the law. No one is given special treatment. That is what we are doing when it comes to General Palparan and others under the custody of the government.)
Palparan, who was accused of being the mastermind in the abduction of University of the Philippines students Sherlyn Cadapan and Karen Empeño, had been on the run since December 2011. He was arrested on Tuesday morning in Sta. Mesa, Manila by members of the National Bureau of Investigation.
Asked if Palparan will be placed in a regular jail, in accordance with the wishes of the victims’ families, Coloma said it will be up to concerned institutions to decide on that.
“‘Yung Department of Justice nga—dahil under sa kanila ‘yung NBI—ang mayroong kasalukuyang kustodiya sa kanya at susunod na lamang sila sa utos ng hukuman dahil nga si General Palparan ay sakop ng isang warrant of arrest,” he said.
(The Department of Justice currently has Palparan in its custody because the NBI is under it. It will only follow the court order because General Palparan is covered by a warrant of arrest.)
Palparan was among the top five high-profile fugitives in the Philippines, each with a P2 million bounty on their head.
“Matagal na rin ‘yung panahong pinaghahanap siya at tinutugis ng mga alagad ng batas at naisama nga siya doon sa hanay ng binibigyan ng prayoridad na maaresto dahil sa mga usapin laban sa kanya,” Coloma said, adding that there was widespread interest in his arrest because it was an issue of human rights.
(He has long been pursued by law enforcement agents and he was included in the priority list because of the particular issues raised against him.)
Human rights issue
In addition to the abduction of the two students, Palparan, who was the commanding officer of the 7th Infantry Division, has been accused by human rights group Karapatan of being involved in 71 cases of extrajudicial killings from 2005 to 2006 alone.
“Matibay ang determinasyon ng ating Pangulo na iharap sa hukuman at panagutin ang mga mayroong usapin sa paglabag ng mga karapatang pantao at sa paglabag ng batas,” Coloma said.
(The President is determined to bring to court and make accountable those who are involved in the violation of human rights and Philippine laws.)
He said the rule of law is an important component of good governance and an important aspect of the President’s platform.
What we want is an effective justice system where there is certainty of outcome, he explained.
Top 5 fugitives
Of the top five fugitives, Palparan and real estate developer Delfin Lee, who faces syndicated estafa, have already been arrested.
Asked if the Aquino administration is targeting the arrest of the three others – former Dinagat Islands congressman Ruben Ecleo Jr., former Palawan governor Joel Reyes and his brother former Coron mayor Mario Reyes – before Aquino steps down in 2016, Coloma said it was the government’s goal to ultimately strengthen the criminal justice system.
“Yung buong sistema ang tinitingnan diyan, hindi lang naman ‘yung paghuli sa mga so-called high-profile suspects,” he said.
(We are looking at the whole system, not just the arrest of so-called high-profile suspects.)
Amid the declining satisfaction ratings of Aquino and his administration, Coloma said they were focused on achieving concrete results and concrete actions.
“Ano man ang lumabas na datos o numero sa mga survey, nandoon pa rin ‘yung focus sa pagpapatupad ng batas, pagpapahuli ng mga salarin, at ‘yung pagbibigay sa mga mamamayan ng kasiguruhan na ginagawa ng kanilang pamahalaan ang nararapat para sa kanilang kapanatagan at kaligtasan,” he said
(Whatever data or numbers surveys show, we remain focused on implementing the law, arresting the accused and assuring the people that the government is doing everything to ensure their safety.)