Medal of Valor recipient Bacarro to replace Parlade as Solcom chief

MANILA, Philippines—Medal of Valor recipient Maj. Gen. Bartolome Bacarro has been named to replace controversial Lt. Gen. Antonio Parlade, who is retiring on July 26, as head of the Southern Luzon Command.

Bacarro’s designation was among the new set of military appointments signed by President Rodrigo Duterte last June 28.

Parlade, who will reach the mandatory retirement age of 56 in a few weeks, has been controversial for red-tagging lawmakers and celebrities, as well as his statements on the insurgency.

Parlade relinquished his position as a spokesperson of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-Elcac), saying he wanted to ease pressure on higher ranking NTF-Elcac officials, who were being questioned about Parlade’s designation.

Some senators criticized the appointment of Parlade as NTF-Elcac spokesperson, saying it violated the Constitution which prohibits dual positions for government officials.

His successor, Bacarro, received the country’s highest military award for combat, after leading an operation to repel a communist guerrilla attack in Isabela in 1991. He is currently the commander of the Army’s 2nd Infantry Division based in Tanay town, Rizal province.

Bacarro voluntarily gave up his post as commandant of cadets at the Philippine Military Academy in 2019 following the death of Cadet Fourth Class Darwin Dormitorio in hazing rites.

He is a member of the PMA “Maringal” Class of 1988.

Maj. Gen. Rowen Tolentino will take his place as commander of the 2ID.

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Parlade steps down as counter-insurgency task force spokesperson

TSB