Not a micromanager: Duterte won’t fire Parlade; to let NTF-Elcac decide – Palace

MANILA, Philippines — It is up to the government’s counter-insurgency task force to fire its spokesperson, Lt. Gen. Antonio Parlade Jr., over his attacks on community pantry organizers and lawmakers, Malacañang said Tuesday.

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said President Rodrigo Duterte will not interfere with the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-Elcac) and will let the task force decide on the fate of Parlade.

“Hindi naman po nagma-micromanage ang ating Presidente bahala na ang NTF-Elcac kung susundin nila o hindi ang rekomendasyon ni Senator Lacson,” he said in a Palace briefing.

He was referring to the earlier recommendation of the Senate to remove Parlade as the task force spokesperson, a suggestion that was recently reiterated following the general’s controversial remarks on the highly popular communit pantries that rapidly mushroomed across the country in the past weeks.

In an earlier statement, Senator Panfilo Lacson restated that Parlade cannot hold a civilian post in the government since he is an active member of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

He said a temporary gag order against the military official is “not the appropriate response” and the AFP should instead have heeded the Senate’s recommendation to recall him to the military.

READ: Lacson: Parlade’s tirades could cost NTF-ELCAC its budget

“He should be censured for dabbling in politics instead of just focusing on his inherent mission as commanding general of the Southern Luzon Command — that is to fight threats such as terrorism and insurgency,” the senator said.

KGA