He cannot afford to go abroad, anyway. Retired Army general Jovito Palparan on Thursday belittled the Department of Justice's issuance of a watch list order against him, saying he has no intention of leaving the country while he faces an inquiry over the abduction and disappearance of two student activists in 2005. "I'm not so much affected. Anyway, I don't have the money to go abroad. So this is fine with me," Palparan told reporters covering a DOJ panel's preliminary investigation hearing into the criminal suit against the former general and his subordinates. Asked if the watch list order was necessary even if he has appeared before the DOJ panel where his presence is required, Palparan replied: "Of course, we have our feelings on that, but the watch list order is there. I don't know if my lawyer will advise me to ask for a reconsideration." It was learned last Wednesday that DOJ Chief State Counsel Ricardo Paras has placed Palparan and six of his co-respondents on the Bureau of Immigration's watch list. The watch list order was dated July 13, 2011. Palparan's co-respondents include:
Lt. Col. Rogelio Boac, commanding officer of the 56th Infantry Battalion; Lt. Col. Felipe Anotado, commanding officer of the 24th Infantry Battalion; 2Lt. Francis Mirabelle Samson of the 7th Infantry Division; an alias "Arnel Enriquez," M/Sgt. Rizal Hilario of the 24th Infantry Battalion (retired); Sgt. Donald Caigas of the 24th Infantry Battalion (deceased). Palparan and his subordinates were accused of committing the following offenses: serious physical injuries, arbitrary detention, maltreatment of prisoners, grave threats, and grave coercion. The complaint was lodged by the mothers of missing University of the Phillippines students Sherlyn Cadapan and Karen Empeño, who were abducted in June 2006 on suspicion they were communist rebels. DOJ probe On Thursday, Palparan also critiized the lawyers of the complainants for insisting that one of his security aides was among the military officers who took part in the abduction of the students. "It's really a sign of fishing expedition. [They're] really trying to make all people around me suffer," he said. Earlier, witness Wilfredo Ramos claimed that the aide was present at the DOJ preliminary investigation hearing last July 19. Ramos added that the aide was "intimidating and eyeing him" during the proceedings. In their reply-affidavit, the mothers of Cadapan and Empeño said that the aide should be impleaded as one of the "John Does" in the criminal complaint. They also attached in their affidavit a document bearing the photograph of the aide. Granting the request, DOJ panel head Assistant State Prosecutor Juan Pedro Navera ordered Armed Forces of the Philippines' Provost Marshal General, Col. Herbert Yambing, to produce the identity of the aide. In Thursday's hearing, Yambing identified the aide as Private First Class Edward Neri, who was also present at the proceedings. The complainants' lawyers, however, said that Neri was not the aide that Ramos was referring to. This prompted Navera to order Yambing to produce the correct information at the next hearing on August 19. — RSJ, GMA News 
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