AFP red-tagging NUPL? Not us, says Parlade

MANILA, Philippines —A ranking military official on Wednesday said it is their duty to tell the public the truth about certain groups and organizations but members of the left-leaning organization want to shut them up.

Deputy Chief of Staff for Civil-Military Operations Antonio Parlade Jr. went to the Supreme Court and submitted a return of the writ, their response to the writs of amparo and habeas data petition filed by the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL), an organization of human rights lawyers.

WATCH: AFP Deputy Chief of Staff for Civil Military Operations Antonio Parlade Jr. wants to know the purpose of NUPL in filing writs of amparo and habeas data. @inquirerdotnet @nuplphilippines pic.twitter.com/J4IRtT5Rcv

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“Ano ba ang purpose nitong writ of amparo nato (What is the purpose of this writ of amparo)? Is it to silence us because we’ve been exposing them?” Parlade asked.

Writ of Amparo is a remedy available to any person whose right to life, liberty and security has been violated or under threat while the writ of habeas data is a remedy available to any person whose right to privacy in life, liberty or security has been violated or under threat by the unlawful gathering of information about the person, his or her family and home.

Both writs serve as preventive and curative roles to curb extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances.

NUPL said their members are being harassed and tagged as communists or supporters of communists organizations.

But Parlade said it is not the military but communists party websites that have identified its members.

“As far as red-tagging is concerned, andyan yan sa mga websites nila (it’s there in the) sa communist party websites. It is not us [that has been] identifying them as a ‘red’ organization,” he said.

“We really believe it’s about time people should know of these organizations. The government needs to do its job, so we have to inform the people as much as possible what we know of these organizations,” he added.

Parlade refused to disclose more details on their response to the NUPL’s petition.

The Court of Appeals will conduct a hearing on May 14. /ee