Court orders Jovito Palparan moved to Bilibid Prison

MANILA, Philippines — A Bulacan court has ordered the immediate transfer of convicted former Army major general Jovito Palparan Jr. from the custody of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa City, Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said yesterday.

Guevarra said the Malolos Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 15 in Bulacan has denied the motion of Palparan seeking to defer his commitment to the national penitentiary pending the resolution of his motion for reconsideration on his conviction for the abduction of two University of the Philippines-Los Baños (UPLB) students who have remained missing for the past 12 years.

There is no more reason for Palparan to stay in AFP custody, he added.

“I have personally discussed the matter with AFP chief of staff Gen. Carlito Galvez Jr., who assured me that the AFP custodial center will immediately comply without prejudice to the resolution of any further judicial review,” he told reporters in a text message.

Guevarra said the convicted retired general dubbed by human rights groups as “The Butcher” is expected to be transferred to the NBP tomorrow morning.

Palparan and his two co-accused – Lt. Col. Felipe Anotado and S/Sgt. Edgardo Osorio – were found guilty of the kidnapping and serious illegal detention of missing UPLB students Sherlyn Cadapan and Karen Empeño, who were snatched in Barangay San Miguel, Hagonoy, Bulacan in June 2006.

They were also ordered to indemnify the family of the missing with P100,000 in civil damages and P200,000 as moral damages in the verdict handed down by Judge Alexander Tamayo.

The three filed an appeal on the RTC’s decision, but government prosecutors stressed that Palparan, Anotado and Osorio should be immediately brought to the NBP pending the resolution of their appeal.

Ready for ‘The Butcher’

The NBP is ready for Palparan’s arrival, Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) chief Ronald dela Rosa said yesterday.

He said while they do not know when Palparan would be transferred, “we have long been ready for him and the maximum security compound is ready for him.”

Dela Rosa assured the public that there will be no special treatment for Palparan.

“He will be treated like an ordinary inmate at kaya naming bantayan siya (we can guard him),” he said. – With Robertzon Ramirez