Filtered By: Topstories
News

Bayan: Palparan's party-list group new tool to ‘harass’ people


MANILA, Philippines - The Bantay Party-list group of controversial retired military general Jovito Palparan Jr. will be a new platform for terrorizing the people, militant umbrella group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) said Wednesday. Palparan has gained notoriety among militant groups - who call him “butcher" - for his alleged role in extrajudicial killings, abduction, and torture of government critics. He, however, has denied all the allegations. Bayan said Bantay, one of the party-list groups benefiting from a Supreme Court ruling, profited from the support of Malacañang and the Armed Forces of the Philippines in the 2007 polls. “Palparan is gloating at the fact that he gets to sit in Congress and terrorize the public anew. He owes his latest position to the support given by Malacañang and the AFP for his congressional bid in 2007. Can there be any question as to where his loyalties lie now?" said Bayan secretary general Renato Reyes Jr. in a statement sent to GMANews.TV Wednesday. A new Supreme Court ruling had expanded the number of party-list representatives in the House of Representatives, with Bantay getting one seat. Bayan claimed that Palparan's Bantay is a “Malacañang and AFP backed pseudo-party-list group" that would give the former general “a new platform to terrorize the people." The group said that during the 2007 elections its members noted incidents showing the military was "clearly campaigning" for Palparan and the "Bantay" party list - a clear violation of Armed Forces of the Philippines mandate. It cited one incident in Bocaue town in Bulacan province that even resulted in a confrontation between 11 soldiers and supporters of CIBAC party-list and mayoral candidate Eduardo Villanueva Jr., son of television evangelist and defeated presidential candidate Eduardo "Eddie" Villanueva. “The fact that Palparan was supported by Malacañang, despite his gross human rights record, is truly appalling and shows how little this administration values human rights," Reyes said. Bayan also reminded lawmakers that Palparan was tagged in a ruling of the Court of Appeals as being involved in the abduction and torture of the Manalo brothers and missing University of the Philippines students Karen Empeno and Sherlyn Cadapan. On the other hand, Bayan voiced outrage over reports that Palparan was set to be appointed as a director of Freeport Services Corp. (FSC), a subsidiary of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority. “Why does Malacañang keep on rewarding Palparan despite his human rights record, the clear findings of the Melo Commission and the ruling of the Court of Appeals? Only a truly callous, insensitive and equally evil regime would appoint someone like Palparan to a government post. Arroyo has proven herself quite a coddler of human rights violators," Reyes said. “Palparan should be in jail, not in Congress or in any other government office. There are pending cases against him before the Ombdusman. Sadly, Malacanang has not lifted a finger to prosecute Palparan despite the findings of so many institutions," he added. Palparan, however, sees the SC ruling as vindication of his supporters' efforts. “It [the ruling] is a reward for the effort of my constituents to represent them. I am happy to do something for them. We already lost two years so maybe we would just catch up," Palparan told GMANews.TV Tuesday night. - GMANews.TV
LOADING CONTENT