THE Liberal Party has joined the communists and other anti-democratic forces in seeking to silence Southern Luzon (Solcom) area commander, Lt. General Antonio ‘Jun’ Parlade, after successfully introducing an amendment to a Senate committee report that now calls on the government to remove the military official as spokesman of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC).
During floor deliberations of the report of the Senate Committee on National Defense and Security, Peace, Unification and Reconciliation, last March 10, 2021, Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon, succeeded in amending Committee Report 186, which was based on Senate Resolution 559.
Committee chair and former Chief PNP, Sen. Panfilo Lacson, filed the resolution last year to investigate the issue of ‘red-tagging,’ a term invented by the front organizations of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP).
Originally, the report had already heavily criticized Parlade, NTF-ELCAC spokesperson for “undue public propaganda” that the committee, averred, had also undermined the “social development efforts of the peace framework and results in discord among our people.”
While the committee also supports the task force’s efforts to “raise awareness” against the CPP-NPA, the same “should not be construed to be a justification for any arbitrary actions against the freedom of expression which is protected under Section 4, Article III of the 1987 Constitution.”
The report also noted that “personal opinions do not absolve Gen. Parlade from his lack of sense of responsibility and negligence in issuing contentious statements to the media and his Facebook account,” adding:
“This unnecessary public propaganda proves to be counterproductive and damaging to the organizational integrity of both the NTF-ELCAC and the AFP.”
But while censuring Parlade, the committee also rejected the ‘criminalization’ of red-tagging as demanded by CPP front groups; the report even urged the so-called ‘Makabayan Bloc’ in Congress to publicly denounce the CPP and its armed group, the New People’s Army (NPA) but which the group refuses to do, claiming they do not consider these terrorist organizations as “enemies.”
Taking advantage of the report’s criticism of Parlade, Drilon had managed to convince his colleagues that the military official should be removed from the task force on the grounds that the Constitution mandates “civilian supremacy over the military at all times.” Drilon also balked at Parlade’s concurrent holding of two government positions– as AFP area commander and as NTF-ELCAC spokesperson– and which Drilon believed is against civil service rules.
Drilon’s fellow “Dilawan” in the Senate, Sen. Risa Hontiveros, who previously “dissented” with the content of the committee report gladly had a changed of heart and gladly affixed her signature of approval after Lacson accommodated the “rider” proposed by Drilon.
Parlade stays with NTF-ELCAC
Since becoming one of the task force’s spokespersons after its creation in 2018, Parlade, together with presidential communications undersecretary, Lorraine Badoy, has been the target of a demonization campaign by CPP front organizations, their allies in both chambers of Congress and among the various anti-democratic civil society organizations.
Until now, the Facebook accounts of both Parlade and Badoy remained shutdown for the next 30 days after FB Philippines arbitrarily blocked them two weeks ago.
Parlade’s account was blocked by FB after he posted an article criticizing the country’s continued commemoration of the ‘EDSA People Power’ held every February 25.
On the other hand, Badoy’s account was blocked after she posted an article accusing online news site, ‘Rappler’ of being a “mouthpiece” of the CPP.
But despite the concerted effort to silence Parlade, this time thru the LP, he would remain as spokesman of the NTF-ELCAC, according to Armed Forces chief of staff, Gen. Cirilito Sobejana.
Quizzed by Lacson, Drilon and Hontiveros during his confirmation hearing last March 10, 2021, the bemedaled and highly respected AFP chief said Parlade can remain as task force spokesperson.
The next day, Department of National Defense (DND) secretary, Delfin Lorenzana, made known he is also not in the mood to accommodate Drilon. A report by the Philippine News Agency (PNA), quoted the defense chief as saying he is sees “nothing wrong” with Parlade speaking on behalf of the task force, further adding he did not believe the Constitution is being violated as claimed by Drilon.
Even AFP spokesman, M/Gen. Edgard Arevalo, sees nothing wrong with his fellow military officer being spokesman for the task force. Arevalo told ABS-CBN that the task force is an “ad-hoc” body which should decide on what to do with Parlade.
Arevalo further stressed that there are other military officers who are also members of the task force and that Parlade is not receiving any other compensation as spokesperson.