QUINAPONDAN, Eastern Samar- The “Palparan solution” did not help any in ending the insurgency problem.
This was admitted by Lieutenant General Pedro Ike Inserto, commander of the Central Command of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, but was quick to say that the “solution” used by now retired Army General Jovito Palparan was not sanctioned by the AFP leadership neither by Malacañang.
This was admitted by Lieutenant General Pedro Ike Inserto, commander of the Central Command of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, but was quick to say that the “solution” used by now retired Army General Jovito Palparan was not sanctioned by the AFP leadership neither by Malacañang.
“Nothing came out with this Palparan solution. Look at him, he has long retired from the service yet still being hounded on allegations of human rights abuses,” Inserto said on Tuesday.
Inserto was in this town, the base of the 62nd Infantry Battalion under the command of Lt. Colonel Jonathan Ponce, to personally assess the anti-insurgency campaign of the soldiers in this province.
While Inserto used the words “Palparan solution” several times in his talks with military officials in the province, led by General Francis Lanuza, commanding officer of the 801st Infantry Brigade which covers
this province and parts of Samar province, and five town mayors, he declined to elaborate what he meant when asked by the media.
“You know about it,” was his terse reply when asked to elaborate about the “Palparan solution.”
Palparan once served as Eastern Visayas top Army official from February up to September, 2005 and had vowed to end the region’s insurgency problem.
Inserto also stressed the strategy used by the controversial retired Army official was not approved nor sanctioned by the AFP leadership or by Malacañang, dismissing claims by human rights groups that Palparan did enjoy support on his all-out war campaign against members of the New People’s Army.
Palparan was accused of human rights abuses by different human rights groups in the course of his massive campaign against members of the NPA.
Human rights group, Katungod-Sinirangan Bisayas, claimed that during his eight-month stint in the region, 36 extra-judicial killings and 712 human rights abuses were committed.
Palparan had strongly denied any involvement in any of these claims by human rights groups.
Inserto said that the “new and young generation” of the AFP leadership, which is under the leadership of Lt. General Alexander Yano, does not condone any human rights abuses directed against civilians.
“We have realized that winning the battle is not through an armed struggle but winning the hearts and minds of people. The (military) operations that we have conducted were one of the reasons why up to now, insurgency problem still persists in the country,”
Inserto said.
Thus, he urged the military to closely cooperate with other sectors in the society like the local government units, Church, media and the people in the villages as they battle the rebels.
“We have to work specially with the Church. When a priest says that you are ugly though you look like Fernando Poe Jr., people will believe him. Patay na tayo diyan,” he said.
