MANILA, Philippines–The government is scheduled to present its first witness to show retired Army Maj. Gen. Jovito Palparan’s hand in the 2006 disappearance of University of the Philippines students Sherlyn Cadapan and Karen Empeño when trial resumes at the Malolos Regional Trial Court today.
Assistant State Prosecutor Juan Pedro Navera, head of the prosecution team, said over the weekend the government would call to the witness stand a farmer who was allegedly abducted the same year the students disappeared.
Farmer Raymond Manalo is expected to give the court testimony that would place Palparan in a location where he [Manalo] and the two students were held, information that prosecutors hope would show the ex-general’s role in the abduction.
“His testimony is crucial because according to him, he saw and was threatened by General Palparan in one of the places where he and the two students were illegally detained and tortured by soldiers because they were supposedly NPA (New People’s Army) members,” Navera said in a text.
“His testimony would prove that General Palparan was the mastermind and was an active participant in the disappearance of the two UP students,” he added.
Palparan was captured in August last year after nearly three years in hiding.
Palparan is detained at the Philippine Army headquarters. He was moved there in September because of threats to his life. He was first held in the National Bureau of Investigation.
The retired general is on trial on kidnapping and serious illegal detention charges.
The government earlier completed its presentation of evidence against Palparan’s coaccused, Lt. Col. Felipe Anotado and Staff Sgt. Edgardo Osorio, who had surrendered in December 2011. Another accused, M/Sgt. Rizal Hilario, remains at large.