Victims to Malacañang: Bounty increase useless, arrest the fugitives!

By HUSTISYA
August 17, 2012

QUEZON CITY  –  Families of victims of human rights violations said Friday that the increase in the bounty of high-profile fugitives is useless if the Aquino government is hell-bent in arresting and punishing the perpetrators.

Reacting to Malacañang’s declaration of the increase of the bounty on Gen. Jovito Palparan, former Palawan governor Joel Reyes and brother Mario Reyes to two million pesos each, Erlinda Cadapan, mother of missing UP student Sherlyn, said “Hindi kailangang taasan ang reward, ang kailangan gawin nila agaran na pag-aresto (They do not need to raise the reward. What they need is to arrest him immediately).”

Concepcion Empeño, mother of Karen and co-complainant of Cadapan in the kidnapping with serious illegal detention case against Palparan, echoed the sentiment.

“Kung sinasabi ng Malacañang na hindi sila nasisiyahan na hindi pa nahuhuli ang mga pugante, aba lalo na kami. Pero tingin namin, balewalang taasan ang reward kung hindi rin nila hahanapin. Ang dapat, pagsikapan at totohanin nila ang paghanap (If Malacañang said they are not happy that the fugitives have not been arrested, we are all the more dismayed. However, we think that the raise in the bounty is useless if they will not look for them. What they should do is to exert all efforts to genuinely look for them),” Empeño said.

Empeño also expressed dismay that the government seems to be playing around with the arrest of “the butcher.”

“Tingin namin, laru-laro lang ang ginagawa nila. Parang ayaw talaga nilang hulihin (It looks like they are just playing around. It seems they really do not want to arrest him),” Empeño said.

Meanwhile, Cadapan asked the government on the real reason why Palparan remains at large. “Takot ba sila kay Palparan dahil berdugo, o dahil may mga taong pumoprotekta sa kanya (Are they afraid of Palparan because he is a butcher, or because there are people who are protecting him)?”