Melo Commission Report: Presentation of Witnesses/Resource Persons

10. On the killings of Mr. Eddie Gumanoy and Ms. Eden Marcellana

Gen. Palparan denied any involvement in the killing of Ms. Eden Marcellana. She was in the process of objecting to Gen. Palparan�s promotion to Brigadier General before the Commission on Appointments.

Gen. Palparan said he was unaware of the police report of the incident stating that military personnel were involved in the abduction and killing of Ms. Marcellana and that there was a witness that identified one of the suspects as a sergeant working as an Intelligence Officer with the 204th Infantry Brigade under Gen. Palparan�s command. When questioned further, however, Gen. Palparan contradicted himself and admitted that he had knowledge of the incident because he accompanied the Sergeant to the DOJ to file his counter-affidavit.

Despite knowledge of the involvement of military personnel in the killing of Eden Marcellana, Gen. Palparan did not order the investigation of the military personnel allegedly involved because �� there were already a number of investigators doing such and I don�t have authority at that time …�

11. Investigation by the Committee on Civil, Political and Human Rights of the House of Representatives.

Gen. Palparan refused to comment on the findings and conclusions of the investigation by the Committee on Civil, Political, and Human Rights of the House of Representatives with respect to the human rights violations in the Southern Tagalog Region, particularly in Mindoro, primarily because the said committee includes Representatives Satur Ocampo, Etang Rosales, and Liza Masa who are allegedly biased considering that they had earlier declared Gen. Palparan as their enemy. Gen. Palparan also refused to confirm the fact that the AFP�s defense was that the killings were done by the group called �Alsa Masa.�

12. Investigation of Gen. Palparan by Presidential Task Force

Gen. Palparan said that he was not investigated by the AFP despite the recommendations of the Committee on Civil, Political, and Human Rights of the House of Representatives. He said that he was only investigated by a Presidential Task Force regarding the killings of Mr. Eddie Gumanoy and Ms. Eden Marcellana. Apparently, the said task force did not hold Gen. Palparan responsible for the killings.