MANILA, Philippines—Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Southern Luzon Command (Solcom) chief Lt. Gen. Antonio Parlade Jr. retired from military service over the weekend.
Parlade, who became controversial as a spokesperson for National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict for red-tagging celebrities and activists, reached the mandatory retirement age of 56.
AFP chief Gen. Cirilito Sobejana, who presided over the change of command ceremony on Sunday at Solcom headquarters in Quezon province, lauded Parlade for being “always ready to safeguard the people of Southern Luzon from whatever danger or unwanted circumstances that threaten the security environment in the area of operations.”
Maj. Gen. Bartolome Vicente Bacarro, the commander of the Army’s 2nd Infantry Division, replaced Parlade.
Bacarro is a recipient of the country’s highest military award for combat, the Medal of Valor, after leading an operation to repel a communist guerrilla attack in Isabela province in 1991. He is a member of the Philippine Military Academy Class of 1988.
Deputy Speaker Rufus Rodriguez earlier objected to Bacarro’s appointment over the hazing death of Philippine Military Academy (PMA) cadet Darwin Dormitorio when Bacarro was still PMA cadet corps commandant.
But Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said Bacarro had already been cleared by the Baguio City Prosecutor’s Office of any responsibility for lack of probable cause in the hazing death of Dormitorio.
“Those responsible for the death of Cadet Dormitorio are now facing criminal charges” Lorenzana earlier said.
“It would be an injustice to MGEN Bacarro if he is prevented from moving up in the ladder of command for something that he did not commit,” he said.