Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / JOAN BONDOC
MANILA, Philippines — The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) should be “more prudent” in releasing the names of those allegedly involved in the communist movement, Malacañang said Monday, after the military erroneously included former University of the Philippines (UP) students in the list of alleged members of the New People’s Army (NPA).
“Defense Secretary [Delfin] Lorenzana has apologized for mistakes, let’s leave it at that. But there is no overall communication plan on red-tagging. We leave that to the Defense establishment, sila po iyan [that’s their field],” Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said in a Palace briefing.
“I can only suggest that they be more prudent para hindi na po napapa-apologize ang ating secretary of National Defense [so the secretary of National Defense would not get into something that he needs to apologize],” he added.
He issued the statement after Lorenzana assured those falsely identified as NPA rebels that the AFP would apologize to them, specifically to Free Legal Assistance Group member Raffy Aquino, who was one of the names that ended up in a list published on social media.
Lorenzana had described the blunder as an “unpardonable gaffe.”
The list posted on Facebook and Twitter was taken down by Sunday.
Days after Lorenzana wrote a letter to UP president Danilo Concepcion about the abrogation of DND’s agreement with the university that barred unauthorized military and police presence inside the campuses, a Facebook page named “Armed Forces of the Philippines Information Exchange” released 27 names of former UP students who either died or joined the NPA.
Aside from Aquino, some of the names that popped up included Behn Cervantes, Liza Magtoto, Roel Landigin, and Roan Libarios.
The page, however, did not clarify whether or not these were the people netizens pointed out: late activist and director Behn Cervantes, Carlos Palanca playwright awardee Liza Magtoto, business journalist Roel Landigin, and former Integrated Bar of the Philippine president Roan Libarios.
Lt. Gen. Antonio Parlade Jr., executive director of the controversial National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-Elcac), earlier claimed that 18 universities were recruitment centers for the Communist Party of the Philippines and its armed wing, NPA.
Roque said the Palace had no access to information to confirm or deny Parlade’s accusations.
The Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU), De La Salle University (DLSU), University of Santo Tomas (UST) and Far Eastern University (FEU) have denounced the allegations.