Press Release
January 25, 2009

Govt told to prosecute Palparan, instead of tapping him for drug drive

Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Q. Pimentel, Jr. (PDP-Laban) today dared the Arroyo administration to pursue the criminal prosecution of retired Army Gen. Jovito Palparan for his alleged involvement in extra-judicial killings and disappearances of political activists, instead of resurrecting his career and tapping his services in the campaign against illegal drugs.

Pimentel said the Palace is afflicted with amnesia over the "sins" of Palparan and being impervious to public opinion by floating the idea of assigning him to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency or Dangerous Drugs Board.

He said that a retired military officer like Palparan who has a terrible record of human rights violations is a dangerous and worst person to take a lead role in the anti-drug campaign.

"I share the fear of concerned citizens that if the controversial general will be placed at the PDEA or DDB, he would employ the dreaded tactics he used in the military in dealing with leftist activists. We cannot tolerate a situation where suspects in drug-related offenses will just disappear or be found floating in the waters of Pasig River," the minority leader said.

Pimentel reminded the Palace of the recommendation of the Melo Commission to investigate the alleged involvement of Palparan and other military officers/personnel in extra-judicial execution of political activists, and if warranted by evidence prosecute them in court.

He said the Court of Appeals, in particular, has ruled that there is a basis to continue with the prosecution of Palparan in connection with the disappearance of two University of the Philippines coeds in response to the petition of the relatives of the victims and human rights organizations.

Pimentel decried that the Arroyo government is coddling notorious violators of human rights instead of heeding the call of the United Nations, European Union and other international organizations to improve its human rights records.

He assailed the failure of Congress to enact the Human Rights Compensation Bill, apparently due to pressure from the Palace, thereby fueling the suspicion that the Pl0 billion fund allocated for the purpose - part of the recovered Marcos bank deposits in Swiss banks - had been squandered or diverted to election campaign by the administration.

Pimentel drew the attention of the Arroyo government to the statement of United States President Barack Obama that it is wrong policy to pursue steps to advance the security of the state if these are made at the expense of the human rights of the people.

"I believe that it would be better for the Arroyo government to drop its plan to name Palparan as a chief enforcer of our drug laws. It is like putting a hammer and knocking it against one's head," he said.

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