Palparan leaves Army custody, transferred to Bilibid

Retired Army Major General Jovito Palparan Jr. was transferred Wednesday night from the Philippine Army Custodial Center (PACC) in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City, to the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa City.

Army Spokesman Lt. Col. Louie Villanueva confirmed Thursday that Palparan, retired Lt. Col. Felipe Anotado Jr. and retired S/Sgt. Edgardo Osorio were formally turned over to the National Bilibid Prison, Reception and Diagnostic Center (RDC).

Major Amer Minanga, custodial center jail warden, turned over the three to RDC officials led by Superintendents Ma. Elena Chua and Gerry Salamat.

The transfer came 16 days after Judge Alexander Tamayo of the Malolos City Regional Trial Court Branch 15 found the three guilty of kidnapping and serious illegal detention in the case that stemmed from the 2006 disappearance of University of the Philippines students Karen Empeno and Sherlyn Cadapan.

The court sentenced the three men to life imprisonment and ordered each of them to pay 1100,000 as civil indemnity and 1200, 000 to the families of Empeno and Cadapan.

A co-accused, M/Sgt. Rizal Hilario, remains at large.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) had insisted it is not protecting Palparan by deferring his transfer to the New Bilibid Prison.

AFP Spokesman Brig. Gen. Edgard Arevalo, said the AFP was merely submitting to the judicial processes already in place and running.

Arevalo said Palparan and his coaccused are facing two cases: One before Malolos court for the Cadapan and Empeño case and the other with the Regional Trial Court Branch 19 presided by Judge Francisco Felizmenio for Manalo brothers case.

In both cases, the courts ordered that the accused be committed to the Philippine Army Custodial Center.

Arevalo said that in the Cadapan and Empeño case, Palparan’s lawyers had appealed that implementation of the transfer order be deferred until the case is resolved.

"The conviction and the new commitment order to NBP in the Cadapan and Empeño case now confuses with the hitherto existing commitment order to the PACC in the Manalo brothers case," Arevalo said.

"To resolve the conflicting commitment orders, the PACC on September 24, 2018 filed a Manifestation with Motion praying for the court determination which commitment order prevails. The hearing was held on Friday (September 28, 2018)," Arevalo said.