The Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) has denied that convicted kidnapper Jovito Palparan had been transferred out of the national penitentiary facility, but could not present believable proof he remains in prison, groups pointed out.
BuCor chief Director General Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr. on Monday claimed retired army general Jovito Palparan remains detained at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa City after Erlinda Cadapan and Concepcion Empeño, mothers of missing University of the Philippines students Sherlyn and Karen, told the Supreme Court (SC) the convict is nowhere to be found.
Nicknamed “The Butcher” for his many human rights violations, Palparan was convicted by the Malolos City Regional Trial Court on September 17, 2018for the kidnapping and serious illegal detention over the enforced disappearance of Sherlyn and Karen Empeño in 2006. He was sentenced to up to 40 years of reclusion perpetua.
The National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL) said that despite Catapang’s denial of transfer, there is still no real-time proof that Palparan is serving his sentence at the NBP.
“The best that Catapang can present are file photos and a video with no timestamp and no indication of where they were taken,” NUPL president Ephraim Cortez said.
The lawyers’ group said Catapang’s claims are contradicted by official court records where notices addressed to Palparan at the NBP were returned “unserved” because prison authorities refused to receive them, stating the convict was no longer detained there.
In at least two notices to Palparan at the NBP by the SC, the notices were “returned to sender” after NBP personnel indicated he had already been “transferred.”
One notice, refused and returned in February 2026, bore the annotation “moved out: transferred to BuCor–Baguio,” while another, refused and returned in March 2026, was marked “moved out to PMA Baguio.”
The failed deliveries are further confirmed by the shipment status reflected in the PHLPost tracking page with the remarks “Unsuccessful delivery – [Return to Sender] REASON: Addressee moved-out.”
“These annotations constitute clear admissions by NBP personnel that, according to their own records, Palparan was no longer confined at the facility,” Cortez said.
The NUPL pointed out that Catapang’s videos and photos did not carry timestamps and any clear indication of where they were recorded and therefore cannot be accepted as sufficient proof that Palparan remains detained at the NBP.
In a separate statement, political prisoner support group Kapatid also pointed out that videos offered as proof by Catapang show that Palparan was wearing the brown shirt of minimum security inmates, instead of the bright orange shirt of maximum security prisoners like Palparan.
“This is not a simple administrative lapse by the Bureau of Corrections but a profound issue of judicial accountability. When an attached executive agency unilaterally dilutes a court-mandated sentence, it directly undermines the authority of the judiciary and the very administration of justice,” said KAPATID spokesperson Fides Lim.
“While General Catapang was quick to deny the allegations raised in the Manifestation filed before the Supreme Court, he has yet to present any evidence to support his claim. If Palparan is indeed still detained at the NBP, BuCor could have readily provided documentary proof,” Cortez added.
Cortez said that there is no BuCor facility in Baguio or the Philippine Military Academy. “This means that he was, in effect, released and/or given the special privilege of going on furlough. Catapang is buying time as he scrambles to look for Palparan and to bring him back to NBP,” he said.
Both the NUPL and Kapatid said the concerns raised by the families of victims and supported by human rights groups are further reinforced by persistent reports on the special treatment afforded to Palparan during his confinement.
“BuCor must disclose Palparan’s whereabouts. The public, particularly the victims’ families who have spent years pursuing justice, deserve full transparency,” the groups said. # (Raymund B. Villanueva)