Convicted kidnapper Palparan spends first night in Bilibid

MANILA, Philippines — Former Army general Jovito Palparan spent Wednesday night at the New Bilibid Prison, two weeks since a local court convicted him over the disappearance of two University of the Philippines students in 2006.

News5 reported that Bureau of Corrections Director General Ronald Dela Rosa said that Palparan was not given special treatment on his first night.

Authorities also confiscated cigarettes from Palparan.

"[W]e have long been ready for him and the maximum security compound is ready for him," Dela Rosa earlier said on Palparan's pending transfer.

Palparan’s transfer on Wednesday night was “far from the klieg lights he reveled [in] during his arrogant heydays,” the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers said in a statement.

The NUPL, whose lawyers acted as private prosecutors in the case, also said that Palparan’s transfer to the national penitentiary was “rather delayed and surreptitious.”

Palparan earned the moniker “The Butcher” from human rights and activist groups for the disappearances and deaths attributed to his campaign against suspected communists.

Palparan was in hiding for years, until authorities finally had a lock on him in 2014. Prior to his arrest, he was said to have sought refuge in Bataan, Pampanga, Nueva Ecija and Cagayan de Oro.

Twelve years since the disappearance of University of the Philippines students Karen Empeño and Sherlyn Cadapan in 2006, the Malolos court found Palparan and two of his men guilty of kidnapping and serious illegal detention.

NUPL: Palparan's coddlers to be held accountable

The kin of Palparan’s victims had to wait for another two weeks to see their daughters’ kidnapper in jail, as Palparan moved to delay his transfer to NBP citing a prior commitment order—to have him stay in military detention—issued by another court.

But Malolos RTC 15 junked Palparan’s plea to hold the implementation of the mittimus or commitment order.

Linda Cadapan and Concepcion Empeño decried Palparan’s continued military detention. Empeño said that it seemed the military was showing they are above the law, just to protect their general "who remains to be held accountable for numerous human rights violations aside from what they did to our daughters."

The NUPL vowed: “We will make those who coddled him accountable for later. We have long memories on matters such as this.”

"For now, the mothers as well as his other victims and their relatives can at least sleep at peace, even if only momentarily," the NUPL added.

Karen and Sherlyn have yet to be found.