MANILA, Philippines — Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Southern Luzon Command chief Lt. Gen. Antonio Parlade Jr. on Monday denied having a hand in putting up the “persona non grata” posters in Manila as he cried foul over supposed accusations made by Cavite Governor Jonvic Remulla.
“I’ve been accused of putting those tarpaulins in [Manila]. Governor Remulla posted this thing this morning or just last night accusing me of putting those tarpaulins,” Parlade said in an interview over ABS-CBN News Channel on Monday.
“I wasn’t the one who put those tarpaulins there,” he added.
Earlier, Parlade questioned why Manila Mayor Isko Moreno ordered the removal of tarpaulins declaring Communist Party of the Philippines, New People’s Army, and the National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) as “persona non grata” or unwelcome persons.
“Who am I to put those tarpaulins?” Parlade went on.
“I’m just a spokesperson of the NTF-ELCAC (National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict), incidentally, I’m also the commander of Southern Luzon, area ko ang Cavite,” he added.
Parlade also decried why Remulla had to go on social media to make the accusations against the military official.
“Why not call me and ask about those things? Why accuse me? So that’s not fair, sa Facebook wall niya pa at tine-threaten niya ako, na ‘pag ako ang naglagay niyan, he will make sure na ipapatanggal niya yan,” he added.
“That’s not right to accuse me of putting those tarpaulins,” he added.
In a Facebook post early Monday, Remulla warned that if similar posters were to be put up in Cavite, he would make sure to have them taken down immediately.
“Let me assure you that if you or any of your men put up any posters in the Province of Cavite, they will NOT last a day!” the governor said.
‘Hindi ako duwag’
Parlade said if he would have a hand in putting those tarpaulins in Manila, he would have had his name and office logo shown in the posters.
“Hindi ako duwag. Kung ako magpapalagay ng tarpaulin diyan, I’ll make sure my name is on there, my office logo is there,” he said.
“I’ll make sure that I’ll be courteous enough to pay respects to the [local chief executives], the governor, the mayors and tell them ‘This is what we’re going to do for a good purpose’,” he added.
But the Philippine National Police earlier said the posters were the initiative of the NTF-ELCAC.
“I don’t know everything that the NTF does,” Parlade, however, noted.
Parlade is currently in hot water due to his message to actress Liza Soberano, whom he warned against being involved with Gabriela Women’s Party-list, which according to him, is a terrorist front. But the military official’s message was viewed by many as a veiled threat.
He also accused another actress, Angel Locsin, of not being honest with the alleged membership of her sister, Ella Colmenares, with the NPA. Colmenares denied this in a separate statement.