Palparan to join Congress

By Ronron
March 22, 2007

Controversial retired Army Major General Jovito Palparan, Jr. will participate in the upcoming elections as a party-list group nominee.

Palparan made the confirmation Thursday during the sidelines of the 110th anniversary celebration of the Philippine Army at Fort Bonfiacio, Taguig City.

“Yes, we are working that out,” he said when asked if will run for Congress this May 14 elections.

However, he did not identify his party-list organization pending their final decision on it.

“It came out that I was going to represent ANAD (Alliance for Nationalism and Democracy). I am not going to represent ANAD,” Palparan said.

He said the people in areas where he used to serve as a military commander were the ones who prodded him to run for Congress. “They are like orphans. Many of them have risked their lives. In Samar, many were killed. So, I have to also be back to support them. It’s not good if I abandon them,” he said.

Palparan was referring to members of the Barangay Defense System, the Bantay Bayan, barangay tanods and CAFGUs whom he helped organize while still in the active service to counter insurgents.

He admitted it is the same sector that he is going to represent in Congress if the party-list organization wins.

“Yes, the advocacy is national security, all people engaged in security but remain marginalized. These are the communities that are fighting against our enemies,” Palparan said of his organization.

Asked how could CAFGUs be marginalized, he replied: “They are only earning P1,800. Security guards are earning only P8,000.”

Palparan said President Gloria Macpagal-Arroyo, who hailed him in her 2006 State of the Nation Address, is already aware of his political plans, and has given him her go-signal, saying it is his right.

Paplaran is popularly known to militants as the “butcher, executioner and number one human rights violator” for allegedly masterminding the spate of killings and disappearances of activists.

But he was recently cleared by the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) due to lack of evidence against said allegations./DMS