Lorenzana sacks senior intel officer for UP Red-tagging blunder

MANILA, Philippines — Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana has ordered the immediate relief of Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) deputy chief of staff for intelligence (J2) Maj. Gen Alex Luna, following the release of an erroneous list of University of the Philippines graduates who had supposedly joined the New People’s Army.

The list, which was published on social media pages of the AFP deputy chief of staff for civil military operations (J7), originated from J2.

Lorenzana called it an “unforgivable lapse.”

“His negligence only shows a lackadaisical attitude towards his job resulting to confusion and damage to reputation,” the defense secretary said.

“We do not take these offenses lightly and I want to hold the people involved accountable,” he added.

The erroneous list further heightened tension over the Department of National Defense’s decision to unilaterally terminate an agreement with UP that barred the entry of soldiers and policemen in UP campuses without coordination with university officials.

The agreement, signed in 1989, was designed to prevent police or military from targeting student or teacher activists for their political beliefs.

The J7 commander, Maj. Gen. Benedict Arevalo, has apologized for the blooper.

KGA