Palparan ex-aide charged in students' disappearance

MANILA, Philippines - A former aide of retired Army major general Jovito Palparan was formally charged before the Department of Justice (DOJ) yesterday in the alleged enforced disappearance of two missing University of the Philippines student-activists five years ago.

Staff Sergeant Edgardo Osorio was named in an amended complaint filed by the mothers of Sherlyn Cadapan and Karen Empeño as among those who purportedly abducted the two in Bulacan in June 2006.

It was based on the testimony of eyewitness Wilfredo Ramos, who identified Osorio through a photograph presented by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) during the preliminary investigation of charges of torture and abduction against Palparan and other respondents.

During the hearing, Ramos claimed he saw Oso­rio during a hearing last July 19 when the latter gave him an “intimidating look.”

Osorio’s identity was provided by AFP Provost Marshal Col. Herbert Yambing. Osorio was assigned to the Army’s Personnel Management Center at Fort Bonifacio in Taguig City at the time of the abduction.

The DOJ panel, headed by Assistant State Prosecutor Juan Pedro Navera, then ordered Osorio to answer the allegation and submit his counter-affidavit in the next hearing on Aug. 31.

Palparan, who attended yesterday’s hearing, reiterated his belief that complainants were resorting to a “fishing expedition” in including his former aide in the case.

“This particular soldier (Osorio) is innocent. I just requested additional security for myself... so he was given to me. I don’t know him exactly,” he said.

Apart from Palparan and Yambing, other respondents in the case are: Lt. Col. Rogelio Boac (commanding officer of the 56th Infantry Battalion), Lt. Col. Felipe Anotado (commanding officer of the 25th IB), 2Lt. Francis Mirabelle Samson, retired M/Sgt. Rizal Hilario, and retired M/Sgt. Donald Caigas (of the 24th IB).

In their 14-page complaint filed in DOJ last June, the mothers accused Palparan and his subordinates of conspiracy over the alleged illegal detention, torture and rape of their daughters.

Complainants submitted to the DOJ eight affidavits of witnesses who either saw the abduction or were detained with Cadapan and Empeño at the 56th IB headquarters in the village of Iba in Hagonoy, Bulacan.

One of the accounts cited was from Raymond Manalo, a farmer who himself was abducted by the military and testified in the writs of amparo and habeas corpus cases in the Court of Appeals in 2008.

He said he had witnessed several men abusing the students, including the use of water torture and electric shocks on Cadapan. Manalo also told the court that Sherlyn admitted to him that she was raped by three men while in detention. He claimed that the custodians “touched and inserted a wooden object in the private parts” of both Sherlyn and Karen.

The CA, in September 2008, ruled that Manalo’s testimony was “clear, consistent and convincing” as it ordered the AFP to produce the bodies of the students. The military has since insisted that it does not have the women in its custody.