Where's Palparan? Mothers asks Supreme Court, but BuCor denies transfer

MANILA, Philippines — The whereabouts of convicted former major general Jovito Palparan have come in question after the mothers of disappeared student activists Sherlyn Cadapan and Karen Empeño asked the Supreme Court to compel the Bureau of Corrections to disclose where he is being held.

Private complainants Erlinda Cadapan and Concepcion Empeño raised concerns before the high court over information suggesting that Palparan may no longer be detained at the BuCor facility in Muntinlupa.

In their manifestation, the mothers cited returned mail entries in a separate pending Supreme Court petition filed against Palparan by torture survivor Raymond Manalo. Based on entries in the eCourt platform, official resolutions sent to Palparan at the New Bilibid Prison were returned unserved.

One envelope sent in August 2025 was returned on February 27, 2026, with an annotation saying Palparan had "moved out" and was "transferred to BuCor - Baguio."

"Considering that petitioner Palparan was convicted of serious illegal detention with kidnapping and that his conviction was subsequently affirmed by the Court of Appeals, he should still be serving his sentence of reclusion perpetua at the Maximum Security Camp of the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City," the manifestation read.

BuCor denies transfer

Bureau of Corrections Director General Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr, however, categorically Palparan "categorically denied" that Palparan had been transferred elsewhere.

In a statement, the bureau insisted that the disgraced general remains at the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City and denied claims that he had been transferred elsewhere.

Catapang said any transfer of inmates, especially high-profile persons deprived of liberty, follows strict protocols and requires proper documentation. BuCor said no such transfer record exists for Palparan.

The bureau said it remains committed to transparency and accountability in managing the custody of inmates, adding that any change in Palparan’s detention status would be communicated through official channels.

Palparan, who served under former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, has long been controversial for his role in anti-insurgency operations that human rights groups criticized for alleged abuses and killings.

He was convicted in 2018 of kidnapping with serious illegal detention over the 2006 disappearance of Cadapan and Empeño, both University of the Philippines students. The Court of Appeals affirmed the conviction in 2022.