Palparan starts 40-year jail term at New Bilibid Prison

JOVITO S. Palparan Jr., a retired army major general convicted of kidnapping and illegal detention of student activists, has been transferred from the custody of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to the national penitentiary. It took 17 days for the AFP to execute the transfer. Justice Secretary Mernardo I. Guevarra told reporters yesterday that Palparan, tagged as “The Butcher” by human rights groups, was officially turned over to the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa City Wednesday night, marking the first day of his 40-years imprisonment. Palparan was found guilty for the kidnapping and illegal detention of University of the Philippines Los Banos students Karen Empeno and Sherlyn Cadapan in 2006. Philippine Army Spokesperson Lt. Col. Louie Villanueva said that Palparan, along with co-accused Felipe Anotado and Edgardo Osirio were turned over to the Reception and Diagnostic Center of NBP. “It is about time he really serves time. We will make sure those who coddled him accountable for later,” Atty. Edre U. Olalia of the National Union of People’s Laywers, which represented the Empeno and Cadapan families, told BusinessWorld in a text message. — Vince Angelo C. Ferreras