By Jonathan Hicap  The Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) in Muntinlupa has denied that it is giving special treatment to Ret. Maj. Gen. Jovito Palparan, who is now serving his sentence at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP). Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) Palparan was brought to the NBP in October 2018 after he was sentenced by a court on Sept. 17, 2018 to reclusion perpetua and convicted of kidnapping and serious illegal detention in the disappearance of University of the Philippines (UP) students Karen Empeno and Sherlyn Cadapan in 2006. The National Union of People’s Lawyers (NUPL) alleged that Palparan has “been overstaying at the Directorate for Reception and Diagnostics (DRD) of the NBP, where inmates undergo evaluation for not more than 60 days.” The BuCor denied this, saying it “does not provide any special treatment for any Person Deprived of Liberty (PDL). The overall safety and reformation of PDLs is the main mandate of the BuCor.” All new inmates at NBP are brought to the Reception and Diagnostics Center (RDC) where they are photographed and fingerprinted, and undergo physical and psychological evaluations, counseling, and briefing on prison rules and regulations. “In the case of PDL Jovito S. Palparan, Jr., there is intelligence information regarding threat to his life which can be aggravated if he is mixed with the general PDL population. The administration ensures that no special treatment or privilege is provided to any PDL,” the BuCor added. It explained that “all facilities in the prison compounds are specifically designed to accommodate PDL based on their classification. Minsan ay tinitingnan natin kung nakakatulong sa kaayusan ang isang PDL at binibigyan natin ng kaukulang trabaho bilang parte ng kanilang reformation program.” (Sometimes we look at whether a PDL can help out, and we give them suitable work as part of their reformation program.)