A Philippine court has ordered the arrest of a retired army general accused of involvement in the kidnappings of two student activists, officials said Tuesday. The arrest warrant for retired Maj. Gen. Jovito Palparan was issued in Bulacan province north of Manila where army troops under him are suspected of abducting University of the Philippines activists Karen Empeno and Sherlyn Cadapan on June 26, 2006. The two remain missing. Palparan, who became a lawmaker after retiring in 2006, is one of the highest-ranking army officers to face arrest for alleged rights violations. He has denied any wrongdoing. Left-wing activists have linked Palparan to several abductions and killings of activists when he led an army command that battled Marxist guerrillas. They welcomed his arrest warrant.
