MANILA, Philippines – Military official Brig. Gen. Antonio Parlade Jr. insists that activists from alleged communist legal fronts booted him out of a forum because they cannot stand to hear the truth from him.
Parlade said in a series of tweets that he came in good faith to the “Weaponizing the Law: Silencing Opposition and Dissenters” talk hosted by the National Union of People’s Lawyers (NUPL) and the Movement Against Tyranny (MAT).
He said he carried documents from the Communist Party of the Philippines and the New People’s Army (CPP-NPA), the group that is leading the communist armed struggle against the government.
“I came in good faith to share our side or answer queries. I was recognized upon entry,” Parlade said on Wednesday, hours after the event in Quezon City.
“I was recognized to ask a question but somebody grabbed the microphone from me. May Paner stood up to allow me to speak but the mob prevailed. All I had was a piece of document: 5 Taong Programa (2017-2021) ng CPP NPA. Obviously they did not want truth to come out,” he noted.
On Wednesday, Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) Secretary General Renato Reyes Jr. shared a video where Parlade was seen being escorted out by Dr. Carol Araullo, for supposedly using the forum to “spread lies,” while government has launched a crackdown against its critics.
The activists were referring to the series of joint police-military operations where the offices of Bayan Muna and Gabriela party-lists in Bacolod, Iloilo, and of Bayan in Tondo, Manila, were raided. Several personalities have been arrested for allegedly attending a firearms and explosives training.
Groups said the evidence was merely planted.
READ: Military general booed out of anti-crackdown forum
However, Parlade — who is the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) deputy chief for civil-military operations — said that government is only against rebels, not legitimate dissenters.
“They discussed earlier the ‘red tagging’ and arrest of dissenters that is why I brought with me the CPP document that says it all,” he explained. “I wanted to inform the attendees that we are not against dissenters. We are promoting democratic processes and we don’t want the CPP to destroy it.”
“So what kind of forum was that? Does the German Embassy know that their funding went to an anti-government, anti-truth, biased, propaganda activity of the CPP?” he asked.
Parlade’s word war with militant groups has been well publicized. He is the same official who accused the leftist groups of conniving with other parties to overthrow President Rodrigo Duterte — something that did not materialize.
However, he and Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana explained that the plot, called Red October, fizzled out once it was exposed.
Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Zarate, then asserted that Parlade was talking to please the administration out of his supposed ambition to lead the state force, although it was fervently denied by the military man.
READ: Lorenzana: ‘Red October’ plot no more
READ: Parlade targeting Makabayan bloc to win AFP top post— Zarate
READ: AFP Deputy Chief of Staff for Civil Military Operations reacts to Bayan Muna Party-list Rep. Zarate