DOJ: Palparan sending surrender feelers

MANILA, Philippines - Retired Army Maj. Gen. Jovito Palparan may soon surface and face his indictment in court for the alleged enforced disappearance of University of the Philippines students Sherlyn Cadapan and Karen Empeo in 2006, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima hinted yesterday.

In an ambush interview, De Lima said Palparan sent surrender feelers over the Christmas holiday weekend, a few days after a Malolos City regional trial court (RTC) ordered his arrest last week.

“There are surrender feelers but there was no indication of the exact date as to when he is going to surrender. Other than that we cannot give you the details,” she revealed.

De Lima said the feelers came from Palparan himself – although not directly, but through an emissary. Palparan’s purported plan to surrender surfaced during the weekend through reports citing National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) region III head lawyer Ricardo Diaz as source.

“I’ve talked to attorney Diaz and he has not confirmed actual surrender,” De Lima said.

As for the reported feelers of Palparan to surrender to the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), the Justice chief said they have already made arrangements for such possibility.

“As you know the AFP is not civilian authority, it does not have direct jurisdiction or authority to arrest. But they can assist in the implementation of the arrest warrant. NBI and PNP (Philippine national Police) should be frontrunner and we already made arrangement with AFP on that,” she explained.

De Lima stressed that despite this, the manhunt operations would still continue.

She added that she even intends to discuss with Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo about the possibility of offering a reward for the arrest of Palparan “if nothing happens now and tomorrow morning (Monday and Tuesday).”

She also cited unconfirmed sightings of Palparan in Luzon.

“If there are reports that he has already left the country, then we can seek help from Interpol. But as of now, there’s no indication or report that he is out of country. He’ll have a hard time to leave because everyone’s on the lookout,” she pointed out.

Judge Teodora Gonzales of Malolos City RTC Branch 14 earlier ordered the arrest of Palparan and military officers Lt. Col. Felipe Anotado Jr., S/Sgt. Edgardo Osorio, and M/Sgt. Rizal Hilario and also issued hold departure orders against them after the case was filed by the Department of Justice last Dec.16. 

Hilario also went missing and is now being hunted by authorities.