Manila: The government has doubled the reward it is offering for information concerning a former Army general implicated in the abduction of two activists nearly six years ago.

In a press briefing, Justice Secretary Leila De Lima said her office and that of Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Jesse Robredo, have decided to raise to 1 million pesos (Dh83,927) the reward being offered for information that could lead to the capture of former 7th Infantry Division chief, Major Gen. Jovito Palparan.

"We want this over and done with the soonest," De Lima said adding that the chances of capturing Palparan gets slimmer by the day that he remains at large.

Initially, the prize put up for the capture of Palparan was 500,000 pesos (Dh41,963).

Palparan, had been missing since early December after the Panel of National Prosecution Service Prosecutors found probable cause to charge him and three other members of the 7th Infantry Division---Lt. Col. Felipe Anotado, Master Sergeant Rizal Hilario and Staff Sgt Edgardo Osorio for the abduction of University of the Philippines students Sherlyn Cadapanand Karen Empeno in the province of Bulacan in 2006.

While the four named respondents were indicted for kidnapping and serious illegal detention, the other charges against them were dismissed, along with all the charges against the rest of the respondents.

 

Planned coup

 

Former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is believed to owe a debt of gratitude to Palparan. As chief of a key military division guarding the entrance of the national capital region he had foiled a planned coup de etat against the then president in 2006.

Interestingly, the coup was supposed to be led by units of the First Scout Ranger Regiment led by then Brigadier Danny Lim.

Lim was arrested for his part in the failed power grab. Five years after in 2011, Lim had been appointed by incumbent President Benigno Aquino III to a key position at the Bureau of Customs.

Palparan ran for a party-list seat under the right wing "Bantay" (Guardian) party at the House of Representatives and won. In 2010, his mandate expired.

Human rights groups had nicknamed Palparan the "The Butcher" allegedly for ordering extrajudicial murders, enforced disappearances and other human rights violations of activists.

The Association of General and Flag Officers, Inc. (Agfo) recently said left-wing groups are exploiting the case against Palparan and three military men.

The former top brass members had also expressed concern over the apparent vilification drive by the government against a former general.

"It is not difficult to imagine that the ideological enemies of the State will capitalize on this issue to support their deadly political-military struggle. And it is not difficult to comprehend either the consequent demoralisation in the soldiers' ranks if this is allowed to happen. The military should not be weakened by the perception of injustice in its ranks," the Agfo said in a statement.