Lorenzana to meet with anti-communist task force over Parlade remarks

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana. DND PHOTO (File)

MANILA, Philippines — Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana on Friday said he will meet with members of the government’s anti-communist task force amid the backlash over Lt. Gen. Antonio Parlade’s controversial remarks against celebrities Liza Soberano, Angel Locsin, and Catriona Gray.

“I am convening a meeting with these people–si Lt. Gen. Parlade, saka si Gen. Esperon, saka yung members ng ELCAC,” Lorenzana told reporters, referring to the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC).

(I am convening a meeting with these people–Lt. Gen. Parlade, and Gen. [Hermogenes] Esperon, and also the members of ELCAC.)

“Kasi ang vice chair ng ELCAC si Sec. Esperon eh, member lang ako doon. Because of this brouhaha na lumaki, I think we should talk kung ano talaga ang magandang gawin,” he said.

(Because the vice chair of ELCAC is Sec. Esperon, I am only a member of that. Because of this brouhaha that went out of proportion, I think we should talk on what’s the right thing to do.)

Parlade, commander of the Southern Luzon Command and NTF-ELCAC spokesperson, is under fire for warning Soberano against associating with progressive women’s group Gabriela.

The actress caught Parlade’s attention after she recently participated in an online forum hosted by Gabriela Youth to discuss women and children issues.

The military official later warned that Soberano should be educated so she won’t end up like Josephine Anne Lapira, the deputy secretary of Gabriela Youth.

Lapira, a student of University of the Philippines-Manila, was killed in an encounter between suspected members of the New People’s Army (NPA) and the military in Batangas in 2017.

Parlade said Soberano and Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray should not follow the path of Ella Colmenares who went underground in Quezon to join the NPA.

“I am sure Angel Locsin and Neri Colmenares will not tell you this,” he said. Ella is the sister of Locsin.

Parlade called on the public not to red-tag Soberano, since she was “not yet” a member of the NPA.

“It’s not fair to her. She is merely supporting advocacy for women’s rights. She has to be protected in the exercise of her rights. Is she an NPA? No, of course not. Not yet,” he said. But some netizens saw this as a veiled threat.

Sen. Risa Hontiveros criticized Parlade’s remarks, saying the “threats and harassment are unacceptable.”

“You should not use your power as a military general to scare off and threaten these women,” she said.

Proof needed

Lorenzana said that the allegations linking personalities to communists should be backed up by evidence.

“Ang thoughts ko diyan, is if wala pang ebidensya [if there is no evidence yet], do not talk about it,” he said.

“Although ELCAC is a very good idea..Hindi naman pwede lahat [It is not right to] shotgun everybody…should be selective dapat may ebidensya tayo. Huwag natin sabihin na [We should have evidence. Let’s not say] leftist ‘yan. Otherwise, just jeep quiet,” he added.

The defense chief said he has yet to study Parlade’s defense of his statements.

JPV