Desaparecidos: The Effects of Their Mysterious Abductions

Desaparecidos are people who vanished without a trace and against their will. The term has roots in Latin America to describe a person who has been secretly imprisoned or killed during a government’s program of political suppression. These abductions happen in the Philippines too. The Philippine Constitution guarantees protection against enforced disappearances. Any arrest or detention needs…

The Myth of ‘The Butcher’ Jovito Palparan by Dano Tingcungco

On August 12, 2014, after two years of hiding, NBI operatives finally captured retired Major General Jovito Palparan in Sta. Mesa, Manila. He now has to face charges of kidnapping and serious illegal detention for the disappearance of UP students Karen Empeño and Sherlyn Cadapan in 2006. Palparan has carved a reputation as “The Butcher.” It wasn’t…