The Philippine Online Chronicles

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said on Tuesday that the Bulacan Regional Trial Court Branch 14 had already ordered the arrest of retired Maj. Gen. Jovito Palparan and other military officials on grounds of kidnapping and detaining two students of the University of the Philippines.

De Lima said RTC Branch 14 Judge Theodora Gonzales issued a warrant of arrest against Palparan, Lt. Col. Felipe Anotado, MSgt. Rizal Hilario and S/Sgt. Edgardo Osorio for the kidnap of student-activists Karen Empeno and Sherlyn Cadapan.

Prosecutor General Arellano said Gonzales issued the document yesterday afternoon, hours after Palparan, attempting to leave the country, was accosted by the Bureau of Immigration.

Palparan was supposedly heading to Singapore via a Seair flight at the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport in Clark, Pampanga. He was barred from leaving by Immigration agents on grounds of a previous watch list order issued against the retired general.

“They offloaded him, but they could not detain him because there is no basis in detaining him [because there is still no warrant for his arrest],” said De Lima.

Palparan earlier said that the watch-list order against him had already lapsed.

“Since there is no basis for stopping my travel, my right to travel has been violated,” he said, adding that it was some sort of “gimmick.”

De Lima answered him saying, “He said the other day he was not going to leave and that he would face his case squarely. So what’s this? It was surreptitious the fact that his flight was via DMIA.”

Meanwhile, Cadapan and Empeno’s lawyer Edre Olalia said, “Flight is an indication of guilt. The poster boy of heinous rights violations was obviously trying to pull a fast one again.”

I’m not hiding

In a telephone conversation with media, Palparan said he will face the case filed against him but is expecting a speedy trial.

“Bakit ako magtatago? In other cases, humarap ako sa korte. It’s useless na magtago. Hindi naman ako kasing-galing ni Senator Lacson na magtago (Why should I hide? In other cases, I faced the court. I’m not as good as Senator Lacson when it comes to hiding),” he said.

Tracker team

Right after the issuance of the arrest warrant, the Philippine National Police (PNP)  formed tracker teams to locate Palparan.

“The order of the Chief PNP (Director General Nicanor Bartolome) is to proceed to all the known addresses of Major General Jovito Palparan so that he can be brought to court,” said PNP spokesperson Chief Superintendent Agrimero Cruz Jr.

Bagong Alyansang Makabayan warned the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) from “giving safe haven” to Palparan and the other accused officials.

AFP spokesman Col. Arnulfo Burgos said they are not yet sure but the other three co-accused are supposedly also retirees.