MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang on Thursday downplayed the warning of a military general to actress Liza Soberano about her support for Gabriela Women’s Party, saying it was just as a caution against being taken advantage of by “communists.”
“Pinag-iingatan lang sila na baka mamaya magamit sila ng left. Pero naintindihan naman po ng [Sandatahang Lakas] na sila po’y nag-addvocate lang ng karapatan ng kababaihan,” presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said in an online briefing.
(They are just being cautioned about being used by the left. But the Armed Forces understand that they are only advocating about the rights of women.)
“Ang issue po yung posibleng pagsasamantala ng mga komunista sa mga adbokasiya ng mga personalidad gaya ni Liza at ni Catriona [Gray],” he added.
(The issue is the advocacies of personalities like Liza and Catriona possibly being taken advantage of by communists.)
Armed Forces of the Philippines Southern Luzon Command chief Lt. Gen. Antonio Parlade Jr. urged Soberano’s critics to stop red-tagging her for supporting women’s rights.
But Parlade also said Soberano should withdraw her support from women’s group Gabriela and warned she might share the fate of Josephine Anne Lapira, a student who was killed in a shootout between the military and suspected members of New People’s Army back in 2017.
Apart from Soberano, Parlade also mentioned personalities like actress Angel Locsin, who has been outspoken about her criticisms of the administration, and Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray who is supportive of causes for women and children.
Soberano’s legal counsel Atty. Jun Lim has denounced all “red-ragging” of the actress, adding that she was only “expressing her love and respect for women and children is her personal advocacy.” [ac]