Philippine military says Senate probe will be chance to expose Reds’ ‘duplicity’

MANILA, Philippines—The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Friday (Oct. 30) said it welcomed the Senate plan to investigate red-tagging being pushed by Sen. Panfilo Lacson.

The investigation would touch on the alleged involvement of the military in the practice of accusing individuals of involvement in the insurgency. It has been scheduled on Nov. 3.

Maj. Gen. Edgard Arevalo, AFP spokesperson, said in a statement that the military thanked Lacson “for providing the AFP a venue to further discuss and raise public awareness” on the “duplicity and deceptive manner of recruitment” of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and New People’s Army (NPA), CPP’s armed wing.

The rebels, he said, feeds “on the idealism of the students, youth leaders and influencers to eventually join the ranks of cadres.”

Lt. Gen. Antonio Parlade, Southern Luzon Command chief and ranking official of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict, drew widespread condemnation for controversial remarks against celebrities Liza Soberano, Angel Locsin and Catriona Gray for warning them against their supposed association with some rights groups.

He also linked some progressive groups and militant lawmakers to the NPA.

On Friday (Oct. 30), NTF-Elcac presented a certain Jeffrey Celis, aka Ka Eric, as a rebel leader who surrendered after 27 years with the guerrillas.

“The deceptive, manipulative and skillful, masterful lies of the CPP-NPA-NDF and the recruitment of the different sectors more particularly of the youth sector must be put to stop,” Celis said.

TSB