Jovito Palparan to seek party-list seat in 2013 polls

Retired Maj. Gen. Jovito Palparan is seeking to reclaim the House of Representatives party-list seat he left before he lost in the senatorial race in the May 2010 automated polls. Speaking to reporters at the sidelines of a Department of Justice (DOJ) hearing, Palparan confirmed he is keen on running as nominee for Bantay party-list in 2013. The group is reputed to be against left-leaning and militant groups. "Sa Congress, I can do a lot against terrorists," said Palparan, who allegedly ordered the commission of human rights violations and extrajudicial killings targeting activists and insurgents when he was still in active in the military. Palparan said he can make contributions in "defeating" the New People's Army (NPA), the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP). A Supreme Court decision in 2007 said that Palparan had a hand in the abduction and torture of farmers Raymond and Reynaldo Manalo a year before. But Palparan, who had a reputation of being a “butcher" when he headed the Army’s 7th Infantry Division, denied the accusation and said the high court’s findings were baseless. Palparan served as party-list representative from April 2009 to June 2010. His group, Bantay, was a beneficiary of a Supreme Court ruling increasing the number of seats in the House of Representatives by 55. During the 2007 polls, the Bantay party-list did not obtain the necessary votes to be represented in the House. The SC ruling, however, allowed Palparan to serve as congressman. Clarificatory hearing Palparan was at the DOJ to attend a clarificatory hearing on the criminal complaint filed against him and his subordinates in connection with the disappearance of University of the Philippines students Sherlyn Cadapan and Karen Empeño in 2006. The retired Army general has repeatedly denied having any knowledge of, or involvement in the abduction of the student activists. Aside from Palparan, also named as respondents are 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; and retired M/Sgt. Rizal Hilario of the 24th Infantry Battalion. Nearing resolution The criminal complaint, filed by the mothers of Cadapan and Empeño, is nearing resolution by the DOJ panel led by Assistant State Prosecutor Juan Pedro Navera. On Friday, the panel questioned witnesses Wilfredo Ramos, Alberto Ramirez, Oscar Leuterio, Raymond Manalo as well as respondents Palparan, Boac, Antoado, and Hilario. The four respondents also denied having knowledge of the military's alleged attempt to have Ramos recant his testimony linking Palparan and his men to the abductions. "Do you have knowledge that Wilfredo Ramos has been approached three times during the pendency of this preliminary investigation?" asked Navera, reciting the question forwarded by the complainants' lawyers. Navera also asked the respondents to confirm if soldiers based in the village in San Miguel in Hagonoy town, Bulacan, had approached Ramos' wife to issue threats to prevent Ramos from testifying. To which, the respondents replied in the negative. "I don't know anything about that matter," added Palparan. After the clarificatory questioning, the lawyers for the complainants moved to have the case submitted for resolution. The panel and the parties then agreed that after the transcript of the hearing is completed by next week, the parties can submit their respective memoranda. After which, the complaint is considered submitted for resolution. — Sophia Dedace/RSJ, GMA News