UP activists' kin press raps vs Palparan, link aide

MANILA, Philippines - The mothers of two missing University of the Philippines student activists urged the Department of Justice again yesterday to indict retired Army Maj. Gen. Jovito Palparan for the alleged abduction and torture of their daughters – Sherlyn Cadapan and Karen Empeño – five years ago.

In a joint reply to the counter-affidavit of Palparan, the lawyers of Erlinda Cadapan and Concepcion Empeño, insisted that the former military officer face charges for arbitrary detention, serious physical injuries, maltreatment of prisoners, grave threats, grave coercion and rape of their daughters.

They also linked a security aide of the former military officer to the abduction. They cited the testimony of witness Wilfredo Ramos, who claimed that the unidentified aide of Palparan was present during the preliminary hearing at the DOJ last July 19 and was “intimidating and eyeing” him during the proceedings.

Col. Herbert Yambing, Armed Forces of the Philippines’ (AFP) Provost Marshal General, confirmed that Palparan’s security aide is an active member of the Philippine Army and is assigned to assist the retired general when attending legal proceedings.

Also yesterday, the lawyers of the two mothers informed the DOJ panel that one of the respondents, Arnel Enriquez, was wrongly impleaded in the case.

“Arnel Enriquez was not the same person who introduced himself as Arnel Enriquez and who interrogated him at the Army detachment at Barangay Mercado, Hagonoy, Bulacan, on the night of June 28, 2006,” the reply-affidavit said, quoting witness Alberto Ramirez.

The complainants said they will not pose objections to the removal of the real Arnel Enriquez from the list of the accused, but requested that a certain alias Arnel Enriquez be retained as one of the respondents.

Palparan had contested the testimony of witness Raymond Manalo, another militant allegedly abducted by the military, who positively identified him as one of the persons present during a meeting with Cadapan and Empeño in a camp.

He questioned the “lack of concrete and solid evidence including medico–legal reports on the alleged rape, medical certificates on serious physicial injuries and maltreatment of prisoners and police report on arbitrary detention grave threats and grave coercion.”

The retired general maintained that the charges are “mere rhetoric designed and good only for a fishing expedition.”

Named respondents of the case apart from Palparan are Lt. Col. Rogelio Boac (commanding officer of the 56th Infantry Battalion), Lt. Col. Felipe Anotado (commanding officer of the 25th Infantry Battalion), 2Lt. Francis Mirabelle Samson, Arnel Enriquez, M/Sgt. Rizal Hilario and other unidentified persons.