Cadapan, Empeno kin on Palparan: Let him rot in jail

The mothers of UP students Karen Empeno and Sherlyn Cadapan on Monday said they want retired Army Major General Jovito Palparan Jr., who was convicted of kidnapping them, to "rot in jail."

"Not in a military camp, not in some special detention. We want him in jail, like any other criminal. Let him rot in jail," said Concepcion Empeno and Linda Cadapan.

Palparan and his two co-accused, Lieutenant Colonel Felipe Anotado and Staff Sergeant Edgardo Osorio, were found guilty and sentenced on Monday by a Bulacan court to reclusion perpetua for two counts of kidnapping and serious illegal detention of the students.

A third accused, Rizal Hilario, remains at large.

The UP students were abducted on June 26, 2006 in Hagonoy, Bulacan.

In the last hearing for the case in February, Palparan denied the charges.

"We are only two of the many families who are happy with the court’s decision to convict Palparan. We are thankful that the courts recognized the truth in the testimonies of our witnesses, who have likewise suffered the same fate as our daughters,” Concepcion said.

"From the bottom of our hearts, we sincerely thank everyone who have supported us in the past four years of this ordeal,” she added, and said there is still justice for the poor and ordinary people if there is a continuous call for justice and accountability.

Cadapan's mother Linda said the victory was welcome, but there is still that nagging question of Karen and Sherlyn's whereabouts.

“All victims and relatives from Southern Tagalog to Eastern Visayas, to Central Luzon where our daughters were abducted and disappeared, share this victory. However, this remains partial because the next question has always been ‘where are our children?’” Linda said.

She added that they are hoping that Palparan's conviction "will be used to shed light on the fate of desaparecidos under his watch. Until then, we shall continue searching for our daughters, and together will the families of all those killed and disappeared, we shall continue searching for justice." —KG, GMA News