Parlade asked to step out of forum organized by NUPL, MAT

Major General Antonio Parlade Jr., the spokesman of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF ELCAC), was asked to leave a forum organized by the National Union of People’s Lawyer (NUPL) and the Movement Against Tyranny (MAT) on Wednesday.

In a statement, Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) Secretary General Renato Reyes said the forum at Quezon City’s Sports Club was about the alleged crackdown against critics of the government.

In a video shared by the NUPL, it was seen that Bayan’s Carol Araullo had intervened when the military official tried to speak in front of the audience of the forum.

Reyes claimed that Parlade had an agenda to use the forum to “spread more of the lies and disinformation” being peddled by the NTF ELCAC.

“Parlade is at the forefront of the vile red-tagging and smear campaign against progressive groups,” Reyes said.

“The organizers did not want him to use the forum as his platform. His presence was already causing discomfort among forum participants. He insisted on speaking and was booed and chanted out of the venue,” he added.

Afraid of truth

In response, Parlade voiced his sentiments on his Twitter account, saying that he attended the event in good faith and that he was even recognized when he entered the forum.

Parlade said he had brought with him a document about the programs of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA).

The military official claimed that “all were afraid of what I could have brought to light.”

“All I had was a piece of document: 5 Taong Programa (2017-2021) ng CPP-NPA. Obviously they did not want truth to come out,” Parlade said.

“I told the bishops and the sisters that I came to bring truth, and refute the propaganda that's obviously going on in the hall. Renato Reyes, Sara Elago, Tinio, and many more familiar faces were there,” he added.

Parlade also claimed that the forum was a “politically-charged activity.”

“This nation has a lot to know. They deserve to know all about this exploitation of the CPP. Many in the room can still be won over, if only we stand up for them,” he said.

In a separate statement, NUPL president and human rights lawyer Edre Olalia slammed Parlade for “gatecrashing” and “hijacking” the forum.

“It is akin to a serial rapist or serial murderer who barges cockily into a meeting of victims and their kin,” Olalia said.

“It is premeditated taunting and evident provocation. At long last, have you left no sense of decency, Sir?” he added. — MDM, GMA News