This combination of photos show Senator Grace Poe, actress Liza Soberano (center), and Senator Panfilo Lacson. Senate PRIB and Instagram photos
MANILA, Philippines — Senators confronted Lt. Gen. Antonio Parlade Jr. on Tuesday over his earlier warning to actress Liza Soberano that she might suffer the fate of a student reportedly killed in a 2017 clash between government forces and communist rebels.
At Tuesday’s hearing of the Senate committee on defense, Senators Panfilo Lacson and Grace Poe asked Parlade about his earlier advice to Soberano to “abdicate” her ties with Gabriela Youth or else “suffer the same fate as Josephine Anne Lapira…”
Lapira, a student of the University of the Philippines-Manila, was killed in November 2017 in what the military reported as an encounter between government troops and members of the New People’s Army in Batangas province.
“What did Liza Soberano say that might put her in danger or in jeopardy? Ano ‘yung sinabi nya na baka pwedeng patayin din s’ya katulad nung mga ibang activist?” Poe asked.
She surmised that Soberano might have just expressed her support for women and children when she participated in an online seminar by the youth arm of women’s rights group Gabriela.
“In fairness Ma’am she (Soberano) said nothing about being threatened or being in danger for speaking in that forum but it’s the netizens who are actually tagging her as a communist, as a terrorist that’s why they are asking the supporters to boycott her programs,” said Parlade, Southern Luzon Command chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
READ: Liza Soberano red-tagged after speaking at Gabriela’s youth arm forum
Instead of issuing such a warning, Poe said Parlade could have just issued a general statement or advised the netizens bashing Soberano that a difference of opinion does not make one a terrorist.
Lacson, who was presiding over the hearing as chairman of the committee, later pursued the issue.
“Bakit dinugtungan mo pa ng ganun ?” Lacson asked, referring to a portion of Parlade’s statement where he mentioned Lapira’s case.
But Parlade said, “I have to cite examples to make them realize that the threat is real.”
“But your problem is, it’s subject to so many interpretations. It may sound like a threat coming from you. You see what I mean?” Lacson also pointed out.