A victory for defenders of human rights

More than five years after the disappearance of Karen Empeño and Sherlyn Cadapan, the Department of Justice, finding probable cause, has approved the filing of kidnapping and illegal detention charges against retired Maj. Gen. Jovito Palparan, Lt. Col. Felipe Anotado, M/Sgt. Rizal Hilario and S/Sgt. Edgardo Osorio. Finally, Palparan and his cohorts in the military will be tried in court in connection with the disappearance of two UP students.

The haling of Palparan to court is long overdue given the many crimes he committed against activists and those fighting against injustice. While this is just the start of a long and rigorous trial to hold Palparan accountable for his crimes, this is a significant victory for human rights defenders, and a big step toward ensuring respect for human rights in a country that has witnessed horrendous human rights violations in the past decade.

At long last, justice has caught up with Palparan and his ilk. The DOJ resolution sends a strong, clear and loud message to human rights violators: They cannot just get away with their brutal acts and that there is no other place for them but behind bars. This should help put an end to the climate of impunity, the offspring of the anti-insurgency policy of the state that has no regard for human rights and the law.

We call for the immediate arrest of the perpetrators and demand that the two UP students and other victims of enforced disappearances be surfaced. We shall resolutely pursue our goal to make other violators of human rights, like former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and other top civil, military and police officials, accountable for their high crimes against the people.

—EDRE U. OLALIA,
secretary general,
National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers,
[email protected]