By JANESS ANN J. ELLAO Bulatlat.com MALOLOS, Bulacan – Quiet sobs were heard during the hearing here in Malolos as the mothers of disappeared university students hugged each other – their tears were both in jubilation over the conviction of retired Maj. Gen. Jovito Palparan and two other military officials and the longing…
How the promulgation will go on Monday, Sept. 17, matters to the Filipino people especially in light of the widespread, gross, and brutal killings under President Rodrigo Duterte, who virtually promised to absolve involved erring state security officers, particularly the police.
“In fact, these people continue to harass my family. They keep on telling my sibling that I would no longer be able to set foot in their community ever again.”
“They are using public funds to finance the phalanx of soldiers and police to provide security detail to Maj. Gen. Jovito Palparan. That money should have been spent somewhere else.”
“This case was filed in 2008 and it is only now that it is progressing. But I am not completely happy, with the absence of all accused Cafgu members, and the fact that Palparan is not yet back at the Bulacan provincial jail.” — — torture victim Raymond Manalo
“The long arm of the law, tardy as it may be, has caught up with him.”
“Even during the time he claimed to have been going through physical therapies, he remained as the commanding officer of the 24th Infantry Battalion. The places where the two students were brought were under his jurisdiction. Anotado was in active military service and such testimony will bear no weight to the case compared to Raymond’s testimony.”
Without a defense counsel, the court proceedings against Retired Major General Jovito Palparan Jr. could be declared null and void.
“Amidst the din and reverie of the past holidays and some mercurial election inanities, we were glad to learn that the trial court correctly denied Gen. Palparan’s delusional bid to be granted bail.”
Judge Alexander Tamayo said he could go through the case files “all in a day’s work.”
“It is the accused who will benefit the most because they are shopping for a more favorable or sympathetic judge. The obvious game plan is to dribble and plod.”