Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Zarate. Noy Morcoso/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines — Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) deputy chief of staff for civil-military operations Brig. Gen. Antonio Parlade Jr.’s attacks on the Makabayan bloc might be stemming from an aspiration to lead the military high command, a lawmaker said on Friday.
In a press briefing inside the House of Representatives, Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Zarate speculated that Parlade has been keen on earning praises so that he can be AFP’s chief of staff.
“Si General Parlade yata ay gusto ring maging chief of staff, kaya talagang sumisipsip, kung ano-ano ang mga nilalabas niya,” Zarate told reporters.
Just recently, Parlade said in a security summit in Singapore that local organizations, including party-list groups Bayan Muna, Gabriela, Alliance of Concerned Teachers, Karapatan, and other progressive groups like Karapatan, Ibon Foundation, National Union of People’s Lawyers (NUPL) have been associated with the Communist Party of the Philippines.
The military official also said before that they have truckloads of evidence to prove the groups’ involvement in the five-decade-long communist insurgency in the country.
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However, Zarate challenged Parlade to file the cases, adding that they would answer back with their legal action.
“Meron daw silang trak-trak na ebidensya, hanggang ngayon wala pa naman silang sinampang kaso. Pero sila, siguradong sasampahan namin ng kaso, antay-antay lang siya,” Zarate warned.
“‘Yong ginagawa nila, especially ‘yong direct attacks nila sa Makabayan bloc is partisan political activity no’ng mga opisyal ng AFP and some other, meron ding mga PNP (Philippine National Police) officials and other agencies,” he added.
The lawmaker also compared the Makabayan bloc’s track record against Parlade whom he described as a “discredited” general.
“We stand by our record dito sa Congress, ang aming legislative record dito sa Congress. Discredited na ‘yang heneral na ‘yan,” Zarate explained.
“Si General Parlade, you know, ano na ‘yan, discredited na ‘yan sa kanyang mga (statements). Siya rin ‘yong scriptwriter ng Red October (plot), na dahil hindi natuloy, naging kung anu-ano na lang hanggang November, December na mga plots,” he added.
Last September 2018, a supposed alliance between the critics of President Rodrigo Duterte and the communist forces dubbed as the “Red October Plot” was supposedly unearthed by top military officials.
Parlade said several universities in Metro Manila had been tagged as recruitment centers for leftist movements, adding that the sinister plot would continue until the 50th founding anniversary of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP).
Four months into 2019, no movement to unseat Duterte has taken place, but Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said that it was natural for the plot to be aborted the moment it was made public./ac
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