BUREAU of Corrections (BuCor) chief Ronald dela Rosa assured on Thursday that retired army general Jovito Palparan will not receive any special treatment inside the National Bilibid Prison (NBP).
"Promise, walang VIP treatment. Wala. Normal lang siya doon, ordinaryo na inmate. Kung kailangan niyang matulog sa karton, sa karton siya matulog," Dela Rosa said.
Dela Rosa said Palparan will undergo a maximum of two months of physical and psychological orientation at the NBP's Reception and Diagnostic before he will finally be transferred to the maximum security compound along with other convicted criminals.
He said Palparan will be sharing a cell with 37 other detainees who were also either former police or military personnel.
Palparan was transferred to the Bilibid on Wednesday evening, nearly three weeks after he was found guilty of serious illegal detention and kidnapping in relation to the disappearance of student-activists Sherlyn Cadapan and Karen Empeño in June 2006.
He was sentenced to life imprisonment.
Palparan was the Philippine Army North Luzon commander who allegedly implemented anti-insurgency campaigns which led to the disappearance and killing of anti-government individuals.
Convicted along with Palparan were Lieutenant Colonel Felipe Anotado, Jr. and Staff Sergeant Edgardo Osorio.
Meanwhile, the National Union of People's Lawyers (NUPL) hailed Palparan's transfer to regular jail.
"The transfer was rather delayed and surreptitious, far from the klieg lights he reveled in during his arrogant heydays. He is used to stealth anyway. It is about time he really serves time," NUPL president Edre Olalia said in a statement.
Earlier, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said Palparan's transfer to the NBP from the Philippine Army Custodial Center (PACC) in Taguig was delayed because Palparan still had another pending case before a Bulacan court in relation to the alleged illegal detention of an eyewitness on the Empeno and Cadapan case.
Olalia said those who tried to coddle and protect Palparan will be held accountable.
"We will make those who coddled [Palparan] accountable for later," he said.
"We have long memories on matters such as this. For now, the mothers as well as his other victims and their relatives can sleep in peace," he added. (VoxPop Philippines)