MANILA, Philippines — Lt. Gen. Antonio Parlade Jr., chief of the Southern Luzon Command of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), on Friday told Senator Risa Hontiveros not to threaten him with confirmation at the Commission on Appointments (CA) as he has no interest in becoming AFP chief-of-staff.
“Please. Don’t threaten us about this confirmation or whatever. Wala akong interest na mag-chief-of-staff at wala akong interest na dumaan pa dyan sa Commission on Appointments. Let me just do my job kasi ako binabayaran din ng taxpayers’ money. Pare-parehas tayo so let us do our job,” he said in an interview with ABS-CBN’s Teleradyo.
(Please. Don’t threaten us about this confirmation or whatever. I do not have any interest to become chief-of-staff or to undergo confirmation at the Commission on Appointments. Let me just do my job because I also get paid with taxpayers’ money. We all get paid by the people so let us do our job.)
Parlade was reacting to Hontiveros’ statement cautioning him that she will remember his statements about Kapamilya actress Liza Soberano when he faces the CA again in the future.
“We will not forget this. Tatandaan ko ang lahat ng mga ito at paghandaan mo ang susunod natin paghaharap sa Commission on Appointments. Hindi ko ito kayang palampasin,” Hontiveros earlier said.
(We will not forget this. I will remember this. Be ready when we see each other again before the Commission on Appointments. I will not let this slide.)
The military official recently issued a statement about Soberano’s guesting in an online seminar hosted by Gabriela Youth, where she urged the actress’ critics to stop red-tagging her as she is “not yet” part of the New People’s Army, the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines.
But Parlade said those who criticized him over his remarks have taken his statement “out of context.”
He even surmised that Hontiveros and women’s advocate and human rights activist Samira Gutoc may have lambasted his comment without reading his statement.
“Feeling ko ito si Gutoc hindi nga niya nabasa ‘yung statement ko, even si Sen. Hontiveros. I believe the good senator was not able to read my statement about that issue. Second-hand lang ang pinanggagalingan ng kanilang mga comments, second-hand information,” he said.
(I feel that Gutoc and Sen. Hontiveros have not read my statements. I believe the good senator was not able to read my statement about that issue. They were only basing their comments on second-hand information.)
Parlade said his statement was very clear—that he was addressing bashers of Soberano and that he was saying it is unfair to red-tag her as her advocacies are legitimate.
“Sinasabi ko sa kanila na unfair na narered-tag niyo si Liza Soberano kasi legitimate lang ‘yung kanyang mga hinaing na nilalabas. Ako naniniwala din sa adbokasiya niya defending women’s rights, so mali lang ‘yung plataporma,” he also said.
(I was saying it is unfair to red-tag Liza Soberano because her advocacies are legitimate. I also believe in her advocacy defending women’s rights but she used a wrong platform.)