MANILA, Philippines - The Armed Forces of the Philippines on Tuesday assured the people that retired Major General Jovito Palparan will get his fair share of justice after he was arrested by government troops in Manila.
"(Retired) Maj. Gen. Palparan’s capture will also allow him to defend himself from all the criminal charges filed against him and face his accusers in court under the due process of law.
"This will also protect him from the New People’s Army that has a standing order to have him killed, which the AFP believes is ill-fitting in a democratic society," the AFP statement said.
The AFP said that the high profile fugitive's arrest is a clear indication that the military will not harbor or protect "runaways."
"This arrest manifests the AFP’s resolve to capture high-profile fugitives including those who were in military uniform and will clear doubts that the military is protecting runaways. The AFP does not cuddle soldiers wanted by law and will not tolerate erring soldiers in its ranks," the AFP added.
The military said Palparan has a standing warrant of arrest for two counts of kidnapping and serious illegal detention in the alleged abduction of University of the Philippines students Sherlyn Cadapan and Karen Empeño.
Judge Teodora Gonzales of the Regional Trial Court Branch 14 in Malolos, Bulacan issued the arrest warrant in 2011.
The AFP said that the arrest was made through joint efforts by the National Bureau of Investigation and the AFP’s Task Force Runway, established in 2012 by top military officers.
The task force was created to gather intelligence information that would lead to the capture of high profile fugitives, the AFP added.
The task force is headed by Major General Eduardo Año, Chief of the Intelligence Service of the AFP and concurrent Commander of the 10th Infantry Division; and organized by then Chief of Staff retired General Jessie Dellosa; then Commanding General of the Philippine Army retired General Emmanuel Bautista; then Flag Officer in Command retired Vice Admiral Alexander Pama; then Philippine Air Force Commanding General retired Lt. Gen. Lauro Catalino Dela Cruz; and then Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence retired Maj. Gen. Francisco Cruz.
Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin created the task force under a special instruction from President Benigno Aquino III.