NPA to try Palparan for ‘crimes against the people’

The New People’s Army has joined the hunt for fugitive Major Gen. Jovito Palparan saying they would try him for “crimes against the people.”

But if Malacañang will only have its way, it would rather that Palparan fall under the hands of the authorities than with the NPA, as this would only “complicate” more the situation.

Efforts to hunt down Palparan “ought to be purely a law enforcement matter,” deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said, in reaction to the NPA’s reported intent to launch its own manhunt.

“It should be the law enforcement components of the state… that have the authority to undertake the manhunt and as such should be left to it,” she told reporters.

Palparan has a reported P1-million bounty for his capture.

Valte refused to entertain thoughts, however, that the NPA might get immediate custody of Palparan, who is facing charges of kidnapping with serious illegal detention for the disappearance of two female activists, since the Aquino administration prefers that he surrenders or is arrested by lawmen.

Even Palparan himself, who has been branded as a “butcher” by leftists, would not want himself to be caught by the NPA, the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines.

The order is for law enforcement agencies is to bring the retired military officer before the bar of justice and face the charges that have been filed against him before the Bulacan regional trial court, Valte said.

“Well, what the orders of the law enforcement components are to find him and bring him to trial...,” she added.

For his part, presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda, said, “We want him to be prosecuted. We want him to stand (trial)... we want him to face prosecution. And so, his security is important for us. When he surrenders, we want to make sure that he is secure.”

“On the part of the government, we want to make sure that we will be able to apprehend him and one way of facilitating the apprehension is to offer a bounty for General Palparan,” he said.

Marco Valbuena, Communist Party of the Philippines information bureau chief, said the CPP central committee has ordered the NPA and left-leaning organizations to “closely look into reports of Palparan’s presence in their areas of responsibility and take immediate action.”
Palparan was charged with the kidnapping, illegal detention and torture of students SherlynCadapan and Karen Empeño, who were kidnapped with peasant activist Manuel Merino in Hagonoy, Bulacan in 2005.

“It is a matter of obligation to the Filipino people and state responsibility that the people’s democratic government undertake the necessary measures to put General Palparan under its duly authorized judicial organs,” according to an order of the CPP central committee.

“A people’s court can be immediately convened to try and render judgment on General Palparan for war crimes and gross violations of human rights and international humanitarian law,” the order added.

Palparan has not left the country but vowed not to surrender, according to a statement released by Palparan's lawyer, Jesus Santos.

“I am just around but I will try my best not to surrender,“ the statement said.

“I am not a fugitive,“ he said, insisting that the warrant issued for his arrest was illegal since it was a product of an “improper“ preliminary investigation.

“I will not allow myself to be a victim of this farce. My name is clean and I have served our (Armed Forces of the Philippines) with all my mind, soul and body,“ he said.

Santos told reporters Palparan requested his statement be distributed “for it to reach the human rights watch and the government.“

Meanwhile, at least seven international lawyers’ associations, including a United Nations consultative lawyers’ group, have joined calls for the arrest of Palparan.

Edre Olalia, secretary general of the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers, said these lawyers’ groups are the London-based Haldane Society of Socialist Lawyers, US-based National Lawyers Guild, Netherlands-based International Association of Peoples’ Lawyers, Belgian Progress Lawyers Network, Japanese Lawyers for International Solidarity and Action, Lawyers Rights Watch of Canada and the International Association of Democratic Lawyers (IADL).

Olalia said the IADL is a lawyers’ group with official consultative status with the United Nations, and has members in 90 countries.

He said the entry of the international lawyers’ association into the issue of impunity and extrajudicial killings in the country should hasten government action.