ANGELES CITY – A group which filed a P25-million damage libel suit against retired Maj. Gen. Jovito Palparan in 2008 urged yesterday Interior and Local Government Sec. Jesse Robredo to name retired military men reportedly coddling the fugitive former commander of the Army’s 7th infantry division in Central Luzon.
The activist fisherfolk alliance Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) issued yesterday this challenge to Rebredo who, it noted, cited recently reports that former Armed Forces officials are protecting Palparan who now carries a P1 million reward for his arrest.
“In the name of truth, justice and public interest, we strongly urge Secretary Robredo to identify Palparan’s worshipers and protectors in the military, whether they are active or out of service,” said Pamalakaya national chair Fernando Hicap in a statement sent to Punto.
Militants dubbed Palparan as “berdugo” or butcher amid their linking him to summary executions and forced disappearances during his military career.
He is facing a warrant of arrest issued by a Malolos City court for disappearance of student activists Sherlyn Cadapan and Karen Empeño more than five years ago.
Hicap said “appropriate charges” should be filed against the coddlers.
He noted that last week, Robredo was quoted in media citing reports that Palparan was under the protection of his “former colleagues” in the military.
Hicap said that Robredo referred to Palparan’s batch mates in the “academy” who were no longer in active service.
“Mr. Palparan is not only a certified fugitive from justice. He is armed and dangerous and is known for his business of killing political activists and innocent people in the name of national security doctrine and crazy anti-communist advocacy,” Pamalakaya said in the statement.
Pamalakaya also appealed to Pres. Aquino to impose a one-week deadline for the arrest of Palparan.
“Malacanang with all its personnel resources and intelligence funds can capture Palparan in less than a week,” it said.
“Let us call a spade a spade. It is impossible the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the PNP don’t know the whereabouts of Palparan,” Pamalakaya said.
In 2008, Pamalakaya filed a P25-million libel case against Palparan before the Quezon City Regional Trial Court, but the case was dismissed on the basis of the court’s lack of jurisdiction over the case.
The libel case was prompted by Palparan’s accusing Pamalakaya of allegedly being a machinery of the New People’s Army in collecting monthly P50,000 worth of revolutionary tax from every fishpond operators and recruiting residents to join the NPA. The fisherfolk alliance denied Palparan’s accusations.
