Jovito Palparan

Palparan was assigned in Mindoro and Romblon from May 2001 to April 2003 as commander of the 204th Brigade.

From February to August 2005, Palparan was the Commanding General of the 8th Infantry (Storm Troopers) Division in Eastern Visayas.[6] He has been credited with reducing the rebel presence in Samar by 80 percent, and claims he could have eliminated the rebel presence completely had he been given an extension of duty.[4] From September 2005 until his retirement in September 2006, Palparan was the Commanding General of the 7th Infantry (Kaugnay) Division in Central Luzon.[4]

In the 2006 State of the Nation Address, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo acknowledged Palparan's successes in offensives against members of the New People's Army.[4]

Palparan has been accused of having a role in extrajudicial abductions and killings of government critics during his military service. He has denied any link to any such killings, and has been cleared of rights abuses by the military through an internal and informal investigation in which no records were kept.[6][7] A probe by the Philippine Commission on Human Rights has also found that there is no direct evidence indicating that Palparan is the mastermind, but there is circumstantial evidence linking some members of the military, to the killings.[8] The Melo Report stated that, "there is certainly evidence pointing the finger of suspicion at some elements and personalities in the armed forces, in particular General Palparan, as responsible for an undetermined number of killings, by allowing, tolerating, and even encouraging the killings."[7]

Palparan was commander of the Philippine Humanitarian Contingent in Iraq, a force of 51 troops deployed in Iraq from July 2003 to July 2004. Following the withdrawal of Philippine troops from Iraq, Palparan was promoted to the rank of Major General in October 2004.

On December 15, 2011, Palparan was indicted for 2 counts of kidnapping and serious illegal detention in connection with the abduction of still missing UP student activists Sherlyn Cadapan and Karen Empeño in 2006.

Despite claims that he would face all charges,[17] he was caught attempting to leave the country[18] on December 20, 2011, as a result of a hold departure order. He was not detained since the warrant was only released that afternoon and Palparan had gone into hiding. A manhunt was undertaken to find Palparan.[19][20][21] A reward of PHP500,000 (approximately US$10,000) was posted for information leading to the capture of Palparan.[22][23] Also charged were Lt. Col. Felipe Anotado and Master Sgt. Rizal Hilario, Staff Sgt. Edgardo Osorio. On January 5, 2012, the reward was raised to PHP1,000,000 (approximately US$20,000).[24] On August 16, 2012, a PHP2 million reward was offered for information leading to Palparan's arrest.

After years of hiding, Palparan was arrested by the National Bureau of Investigation in August 2014 in a neighborhood of Santa Mesa, Manila. Palparan did not resist arrest.[25]

On December 14, 2015, the Malolos Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 15 rejected Palparan's bid to be released on bail despite his plea that he is running for Senate.[26]

On September 17, 2018, Palparan and his associates, former lieutenant colonel Felipe Anotado and former staff sergeant Edgardo Osorio, were found guilty of kidnapping and serious illegal detention over the enforced disappearances of Cadapan and Empeno in 2006. The court sentenced them to reclusión perpetua and ordered each of them to pay ₱100,000 in civil indemnities and ₱200,000 for moral damages.[2]

Palparan appealed against his conviction the following day. On November 15, 2018, the Malolos City Regional Trial Court Branch 15 ultimately denied Palparan's plea, stating that Palparan failed to present new arguments in his motion for reconsideration filed on September 18 to convince the court to reverse its decision.[27]

In 2022, the Court of Appeals affirmed the conviction and modified the interests of the penalty, imposing a sentence of reclusión perpetua "without eligibility for parole" and "a 6-percent annual interest on the ₱300,000 civil indemnity and moral damages to be paid to the families of UP students Karen Empeño and Sherlyn Cadapan from the date of finality of the decision until full payment".[3]

On October 6, 2023, the Malolos Regional Trial Court Branch 19 acquitted Palparan on the charges against kidnapping, serious illegal detention, and serious physical injuries brought against him by the National Union of People's Lawyers (NUPL) on behalf of the two farmer brothers, Raymond and Reynaldo Manalo, as well as the parents Sherlyn Cadapan and Karen Empeño. NUPL and other supporters of the Manalo brothers expressed disappointment with the court's ruling.[28]

The rights group KARAPATAN condemned the decision of the Malolos RTC alleging the court dismissed the accounts of Manalo brothers which was validated by the higher court, the rights group expressed their disappointment on the court verdict referring it as "unspeakable act", invalidates the traumatic experiences of the Manalo brothers.

In a statement, Malolos RTC cited inconsistencies between the affidavit statements and the testimonies of the Manalo brothers in court. The court referenced a previous case (The Secretary of National Defense, et al. vs. Raymond Manalo and Reynaldo Manalo, G.R. No. 180906, October 7, 2008) and pointed out differences in Raymond Manalo's statements, such as mentioning being 'dragged to Reynaldo's house' in contrast to the previous case where he was said to be taken in a white L300 van. The court also highlighted inconsistencies regarding the location of their incarceration. Additionally, the court noted other discrepancies, including Raymond's encounters with Palparan and an inconsistent 2007 affidavit describing their first meeting at a basketball court.

Raymond Manalo, one of the main complainants also expressed his disbelief as the higher court had supported their case using the same testimony presented on the RTC court.[29]