CLARK FREEPORT – Retired Maj. Gen. Jovito Palparan attempted to leave the country via a flight to Singapore at the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA) early Monday, but was prevented by Immigration authorities from boarding his plane.
A ranking official of the Commission on Immigration who asked not to be named due to lack of authorization from higher ups, told Punto that Palparan was offloaded because he was in the immigration watchlist.
Last week, the Department of Justice recommended the filing of a kidnapping case against Palparan and several others for the abduction of missing University of the Philippines students Sherlyn Cadapan and Karen Empeno when he was still in active military service in 2006.
The students were abducted along with farmer Manuel Merino for being suspected as members of the New People’s Army (NPA). They all have remained missing.
Palparan became known as “berdugo” among left leaning militant groups which had accused him of summary executions and involuntary disappearances in areas where he assumed post as military commander.
The Immigration official said Palparan was booked for Air Asia flight No. CG-7792 which was supposed to leave for Singapore at 7:25 a.m. at the DMIA.
“We did not allow him to board his plane since his name was listed in our watchlist,” the official said.
The Immigration officer said Palparan denied reports he was detained, saying that he stayed only a few minutes after being told he was in the watchlist and could not board his plane.
“He just sat down and waited as we discussed his fate, and then he the departure area about five minutes after his plane left,” the officer said.
An Immigration employee, who also asked not to be named for lack of authorization to reveal information on the incident, said that Palparan arrived at the DMIA by himself, although he was probably driven by someone else to the airport.
“He was in casual clothes. He was wearing a polo shirt and a jacket,” he employee said.
He also noted that Palparan did not carry a bag, although he could not say immediately whether the retired military officer had checked in any luggage.
He also said there were a few other passengers who were also offloaded because they turned out to have spurious documents. Their case, however, had nothing to do with Palparan.
Clark International Airport Corp. vice president for operations Reynaldo Catacutan said he was not immediately informed about the offloading of Palparan at the DMIA, adding that “the matter was an immigration issue.”
In a 35-page resolution, the DOJ filed two counts of kidnapping and serious illegal detention against Palparan, as well as Lt. Col. Felipe Anotado, Master Sgt. Rizal Hilario and Senior Sgt. Edgardo Osorio in regard to the missing UP students.
The DOJ cited the testimony of farmer Raymond Manalo who, during the habeas corpus proceedings at the Court of Appeals in 2008, positively identified the alleged abductors and torturers of the missing students.
DOJ said in its resolution approved by Prosecutor General Claro Arellano, that “the kidnapping and serious illegal detention of Sherlyn and Karen were done by Philippine Army officers, enlisted personnel and other unindicted co-conspirators, who committed the acts not in relation to their office but in violation of their sacred duty of protecting the people and by acting outside their oaths of office, thereby acting as if they are private individuals.”
The DOJ, however, dismissed the complaint against them for rape, serious physical injuries, maltreatment of prisoners, grave threats, grave coercion, violation of Republic Act 7438 or the Act Defining Certain Rights of Persons Arrested, Detained or Under Custodial Investigation.
Also dismissed were charges that they violated the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and Convention Against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment because these were not penal statutes.
