The Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) allowed the families of two missing student activists to meet face-to-face with retired Maj. Gen. Jovito Palparan on Thursday to verify that he remains detained at the New Bilibid Prison.

The move was aimed at eliminating public doubts regarding Palparan’s whereabouts, prison officials said.

In a report to BuCor director general Gregorio Pio P. Catapang Jr., prison superintendent Gary A. Garcia said complainants Erlinda Cadapan and Concepcion Empeño, along with their lawyers, were permitted to meet with Palparan for over an hour.

Garcia noted that the written request was submitted and approved on the same day.

“I wish they had requested this sooner so there wouldn’t have been any confusion, because the bureau is willing and transparent when it comes to these matters,” Garcia said in Tagalog.

Garcia clarified that Palparan has been held in the minimum security compound since before Catapang took over the top prison post.

He said the placement was due to safety concerns, noting that the maximum security compound houses inmates with conflicting political affiliations.

Following the families’ meeting, a team of special investigators from the Commission on Human Rights — identified as Delfin Banluta, Kirsten Phoebe Bautista and Marie Bernadette Mirandilla — arrived at the prison to conduct an independent inquiry into Palparan’s status.

Catapang reiterated the agency’s transparency and willingness to accommodate visitors and investigators who follow established protocols.

“Guaranteeing the safety of our persons deprived of liberty is a priority — not only for Palparan but for everyone entrusted to our care,” Catapang said. He added that the bureau remains committed to fairness, ensuring no inmate receives preferential treatment.