JUSTICE Secretary Leila de Lima confirmed the numerous sightings of fugitive former Gen. Jovito Palparan who was accused of masterminding the abduction of two University of the Philippines coeds.

De Lima however refused to identify the locations where the elusive officer was supposedly sighted. A radio report said that Palparan was last seen in Bataan and is on the move, going around neighboring provinces.

Palparan was charged along with three other military officers before the Regional Trial Court of Malolos, Bulacan for their alleged role in the disappearance of UP student-activists Sherlyn Cadapan and Karen Empeño in 2006.

Charged with Palparan with kidnapping and serious illegal detention were M/Sgt. Rizal Hilario,  Lt. Col. Felipe Anotado and S/Sgt. Edgardo Osorio. A reward of P1 million has been put up for any information leading to Palparan’s arrest.

So far all efforts of the National Bureau of Investigation to bring him in have been unsuccessful, De Lima said.

Nonetheless, the justice chief vowed to exhaust all means and resources for the speedy arrest of Palparan. She bared that the NBI has been receiving numerous tip offs from sources but these would have to be verified.

“May mga naging operations ang NBI but negative so far. We are receiving certain tips. Iba medyo plausible, iba far out. Kung sa tingin namin di kapanipaniwala ang info after initial validation, hindi na namin pinu-pursue,” De Lima said.   

Meanwhile the fugitive ex-general has filed a motion through his lawyer for reconsideration in which he pointed out to the Malolos regional trial court that Sen. Panfilo M. Lacson was also a fugitive when he was acquitted by the Court of Appeals in connection with the Dacer-Corbito double murder case.

Palparan’s motion appealed the ruling junking his plea for a reinvestigation of the Justice Department’s resolution charging him with kidnapping and serious illegal detention.

He was questioning the ruling of Judge Teodora Gonzales who dismissed his motion for reinvestigation “for the mere reason that he has been hiding from authorities.”

Gonzales last January 2 held that the fugitive could not seek such relief until he surrenders and submits himself to the jurisdiction of the court.

But Palparan’s lawyer argued that Sen. Lacson was also hiding when the CA granted him relief and cleared him of the double murder charges.

“By filing the ‘omnibus motions,’ the accused are seeking affirmative relief from this honorable court which in effect, placed them under its jurisdiction, sufficient for this honorable court to rule upon the same,” his counsel added.