In a report aired on “Balitanghali”, Palparan said he will also file a petition before the Supreme Court to change of venue of his trial for kidnapping and serious illegal detention from the Bulacan Regional Trial Court to the Sandiganbayan in Quezon City.
The former military official is implicated in the disappearance of of college students Sherlyn Cadapan and Karen Empeño in 2006.
Palparan said his trial deserves to be held at the Sandiganbayan by virtue of his rank when the incident that became the basis for the case against him took place.
“The crime that was committed happened during my time as commander of the Army 7th Infantry Division.The rank calls for a Sandiganbayan hearing,” he said.
Narzal Mallares, a lawyer for Palparan, said last week that the retired general would ask the Malolos Regional Trial Court to allow him to be detained instead at the PNP Custodial Center in Camp Crame, where other high-profile detainees are being held.
According to Mallares, Palparan’s life is in danger because of the reported presence of detained New People’s Army rebels at the provincial jail, where he is currently detained.
Aside from being implicated in the disappearance of Cadapan and Empeño, Palparan was also tagged in several cases of political killings. He earned the nickname “Butcher” from communist rebels and militant groups for his relentless pursuit against insurgency.
The 65-year-old Palparan was arrested by a joint team from the NBI and the military earlier this month in Sta. Mesa, Manila after being a fugitive for three years. — Xianne Arcangel/JDS, GMA News
