The Department of Justice (DOJ) has asked the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) to submit the prison records of retired Army Maj. Gen. Jovito S. Palparan Jr.
Justice Undersecretary Deo L. Marco, who has supervision over the BuCor, said on Tuesday, April 26, that this was sought by the DOJ’s Technical Division which has been tasked to determine if there were violations committed in allowing Palparan to be interviewed over SMNI network last March 30.
“Nag-follow up kami kahapon at may mga additional info/docs na hiningi lang po ang technical from BuCor before they can give me or SOJ their recommendation (We followed up yesterday and we learned that the technical division asked BuCor for more information and documents before they can give me or Justice Secretary Menardo I. Guevarra their recommendation),” Marco said.
The undersecretary explained the technical division was asking particularly for “info about the PDL po based on his prison records po (information about the PDL based on his prison records).”
Aside from the DOJ’s technical division, Marco said the Office of the Scretary (OSEC) will also be conducting a review of the issue.
“So we are letting them assess first and we do not intervene for now,” the undersecretary said.
“Gusto lang po malaman ni SOJ (Guevarra only wants to know) if the proper process was followed in granting the interview po,” he pointed out.
Palparan is serving reclusion perpetua at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa City due to his conviction for the kidnapping and serious illegal detention of University of the Philippines (UP) students Karen Empeno and Sherlyn Cadapan who disappeared together in 2006.
The National Union of People’s Lawyers (NUPL), who served as the private prosecutors for the families of the victims, has already written to the BuCor and demanded “immediate termination of any other special privileges and treatment currently accorded Maj. Gen. Palparan” and the imposition of “disciplinary sanctions upon officers and personnel of the Bureau of Corrections responsible for violating the Implementing Rules and Manual and giving special privileges and treatment to Maj. Gen. Palparan.”
The group pointed out that the interview over SMNI network was done “without the knowledge and permission of the Department of Justice or the Court where the criminal cases against him are pending.”
“On top of the atrocious statements and gratuitous remarks in the interview that are also legally actionable, the Director General should have denied the request pursuant to Section 5 (d), Chapter 3 of the 2000 Bureau of Corrections Manual, considering that ‘the inmate is the accused or otherwise involved in a pending criminal case’,” it added.
The NUPL said it also learned that Palparan is detained in the Minimum Security Compound of the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa City.
It reminded that Palparan has been “sentenced to reclusion perpetua, pursuant to the Revised Implementing Rules of R.A. No. 10575 (Bureau of Corrections Act of 2013)” and that the Bilibid’s Minimum Security Compound is “the detention and holding area for prisoners who were given light sentences or are about to be released and/or already considered ‘living out’ prisoners’.”