THE Regional Trial Court (RTC) in the city of Malolos has issued a warrant of arrest against retired Maj. Gen. Jovito Palparan and three others who have been charged with kidnapping and serious illegal-detention charges in connection with the disappearance of two University of the Philippines (UP) student activists in 2006.

The warrant of arrest issued on Monday by Judge Teodoro Gonzales of Branch 14 of the RTC in Malolos also covers Palparan’s co-accused identified as Army SSgt. Edgardo Osorio, Lt. Col. Felipe Anotado of the 25th Infantry Battalion (IB) and retired MSgt. Rizal Hilario of the 24th IB.

The trial court also did not set bail for the accused as under the law, the crimes of kidnapping and serious illegal detention are nonbailable offenses.

Palparan and his co-accused was charged on Friday at the RTC in Malolos after the Department of Justice (DOJ) investigating panel found probable cause to indict them for violation of Article 267 of the Revised Penal Code.

Copies of the warrants of arrest were sent to the National Bureau of Investigation director, the National Police chief, the chief of police of Palanan City, Nueva Ecija, and the chief of police of Taguig City.

The charges against Palparan and his co-accused were filed based on the affidavits of eight witnesses including Raymond Manalo, whose statements earlier prompted the Court of Appeals to reverse its ruling denying the habeas corpus and writ of amparo petitions filed by the victims’ families.

Manalo testified that he and his brother, Reynaldo were also allegedly abducted by military personnel from their respective houses in San Ildefonso, Bulacan, in 2006.

He said they were detained for more than one year in various military camps in Southern Luzon before managing to escape on August 13, 2007.

While in detention, Manalo claimed that Palparan talked to them and threatened to kill them if they do not abandon the communist movement.

During their detention, Manalo said he met and managed to talk to the two missing UP students, who were also being detained by the respondents along with farmer Manuel Merino.

Raymond further said that he saw Cadapan and Empeño being subjected to torture by their captors.

In a 36-page resolution, the DOJ investigating panel, headed by State Prosecutor Juan Pedro Navera, said there was probable cause to file two counts of kidnapping and serious illegal-detention charges against Palparan, Osorio, Anotado and Hilario.

The DOJ gave weight to the testimonies of witnesses who were “able to establish that Cadapan and Empeño were kidnapped on June 26, 2006, and were last seen by Raymond Manalo detained up to around June 2007.”

“Palparan had a direct hand in the detention of Sherlyn and Karen and that through his men, he had knowledge and control of the places where the women were held,” the DOJ said.

The National Police formed on Tuesday three tracker teams to locate Palparan and serve the warrant of arrest that has been issued by the court in Malolos against him.

Chief Supt. Agrimero Cruz Jr., National Police spokesman, said that, “upon receipt of the warrant of arrest, the National Police chief, Director General Nicanor Bartolome, himself ordered the formation and immediate deployment of tracker teams in order to make sure that the subject of the warrant will be arrested.”

“The National Police chief mandated that all known addresses and offices of Major General Palparan will be visited in order for him to be taken before the court and made to answer the charges against him,” he added.

Director Samuel Pagdilao, Criminal Investigation and Detection Group chief, said Anotado and Osorio yielded on Tuesday afternoon to the Armed Forces provost marshall.

Cruz said he believed that Palparan will yield to authorities because the retired Army general also want to clear his name.

But if the member of the tracker teams will find him and he will refuse to go with them, the police spokesman said they could use reasonable force just to take him before the court.