The Department of Justice will investigate reports that retired Army General Jovito Palparan has been receiving special treatment inside the New Bilibid Prison.
Justice Secretary Guevarra said he would order the investigation of allegations that the 69-year-old Palparan is receiving special treatment while detained inside the NBP verified.
“Yes I will look into this allegation,” Guevarra said in a text message.
“It has always been the policy of the DOJ to ensure that all PDLs (persons deprived of liberty) in correctional facilities are treated uniformly, subject to only a few exceptions based on humanitarian grounds,” he added.
According to him, he would order Justice Undersecretary Deo Marco, who has supervision over the Bureau of Corrections, to verify the allegations made by the National Union Peoples’ Lawyers.
The BuCor is an attached agency of the DOJ that operates and maintains prison facilities such as the NBP.
In a statement, the NUPL said that while Palparan, who has been called the “Butcher” may be a convicted and spending time behind bars, he has reportedly been acting as a “governor” and receiving special treatment inside the NBP.
The NUPL claimed that the former Army General has had unlimited access to the Internet while inside the national penitentiary.
The group said there was a delay in Palparan’s transfer to the NBP. There have also been reports that he had been reportedly overstaying at the Directorate for Reception and Diagnostics of the NBP where inmates undergo evaluation for not more than 60 days.
“At the DRD, Palparan has been acting as ‘governor’ or ‘mayor de mayores’ to about 1,500 persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) and given unbridled access to the computer and the Internet and many other privileges that are otherwise deprived to other inmates,” they said.
In 2018, Malolos, Bulacan Regional Trial Court Branch 15 Judge Alexander Tamayo sentenced Palparan to suffer the penalty of reclusion perpetua, with a maximum prison term of 40 years.
Palparan was convicted in court for the kidnapping and serious illegal detention of University of the Philippines students Karen Empeño and Sherlyn Cadapan in 2006.