Retired General Jovito Palparan Jr. is the highest military official in the Philippines to be convicted over gross human rights violations. Palparan served as chief implementer of then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s counterinsurgency policy Oplan Bantay Laya 1 and 2, which left over a thousand activists dead and hundreds disappeared.
Bulatlat followed Palparan’s assignments from one region to another until he was finally held accountable over the enforced disappearance of UP students Karen Empeño and Sherlyn Cadapan on September 17, 2018.
A look at the previous Bulatlat.com stories -- the earliest were written in 2003 -- show that Palparan has left a trail of blood in areas where he had been assigned – Southern Tagalog, Central Luzon and Eastern Visayas.
When he exits the military service this Sept. 11, Maj. Gen. Jovito Palparan, Jr. leaves behind a long list of victims of human rights violations in the areas where he was assigned. Based on his declarations in various media interviews, he will perhaps even give a...
SPECIAL REPORT: His eyewitness account, lauded by the Supreme Court for being clear, categorical, consistent and credible, served as among the evidences that led to the filing of charges of two counts of kidnapping and serious illegal detention for the enforced disappearance of the two students of the University of the Philippines Karen Empeño and Sherlyn Cadapan, along with farmer Manuel Merino, on June 26, 2006 in Hagonoy, Bulacan.
From #BulatlatArchives, know what happened since the abduction of UP students Sherlyn Cadapan and Karen Empeño until the trial of retired Gen. Jovito Palparan Jr.
With the memorandum submitted last week before the Bulacan court, the case is now deemed up for resolution.
On Sept. 27, the Malolos City Regional Trial Court Branch 19 will decide on the charges of kidnapping and serious illegal detention with physical injuries filed by farmer Raymond Manalo and his late twin brother, Reynaldo, against retired general Jovito Palparan Jr. and five other agents.
"It is not surprising. It only means that impunity persists.," Raymond Manalo said.
Torture survivors Raymond and Reynaldo Manalo have filed their appeal before a Malolos court that earlier acquitted retired Maj. Gen. Jovito Palparan and several members of the military auxiliary force earlier this month.
The Manalo brothers continue to fight for justice as Bulacan court acquitted retired major Jovito Palparan over the kidnapping and illegal detention charges.
“While his transfer to a regular detention cell today is some kind of soothing balm to a lot of pain and suffering for his many victims, the fight for justice is far from over. His unscrupulous disciples of darkness will not tire of wronging a right to protect evils incarnate.” – Edre Olalia, National Union of People’s Lawyers secretary general
“He has sinned against civilians and he must be treated like any ordinary suspect charged with heinous crimes.” – Bishop Reuel Norman Marigza, UCCP general secretary
“We have done everything we could. But we are faithful to what we started and we will pursue it until the end.” – Edita Burgos
“He spoke with a forked tongue even on the witness stand, and remorselessly justified his worn-out anti-communist bigotry to sanction his and his men’s actions amounting to heinous rights violations and crimes against humanity.”
“To call it a ‘long overdue decision’ is an understatement. Raymond Manalo has been denied justice many times over, and this Ombudsman decision, while it establishes accountability through prosecution of Palparan et al, is also a testament to the failings of the current justice and social system.”
“This case was filed in 2008 and it is only now that it is progressing. But I am not completely happy, with the absence of all accused Cafgu members, and the fact that Palparan is not yet back at the Bulacan provincial jail.” -- -- torture victim Raymond Manalo
"This 2018, we hope that the case against Palparan be finally resolved soon. The case has been running since 2014, and it has been a long ordeal for us and all of Palparan’s victims. We want to see him in jail this year.”
“The recent conviction of Palparan is a reminder to everyone that evil will never ever triumph.”
“Is the military totally bereft of even an iota of morality? Don’t they heed persons in authority?”
In a two-page order dated Oct. 1, Judge Alexander Tamayo of the Bulacan Regional Trial Court Branch 15 denied outright the motion of Palparan.
A Bulacan court has denied over lack of merit the petition of convicted retired general Jovito Palparan to reopen the charges against him for plea bargaining, a court procedure where the accused would plead guilty to a lesser offense.