Etta Rosales on Parlade's praise of Akbayan: 'Thanks, but no thanks'

Akbayan Chair Emeritus Etta Rosales has called out Lieutenant General Antonio Parlade Jr., chief of the military's Southern Luzon Command, for calling her political party a "good left group."

In a statement, Rosales said Parlade’s statement is a "crude attempt at false flattery to sow political intrigue and justify the red-tagging of civilians."

"Thanks, but no thanks. General Parlade's false praise of my political party will not justify his foolish red-tagging of civilians and government critics,” Rosales said.

"Not at our expense. We don't need his fake and dangerous compliment."

Although Parlade has denied he red-tagged actress Liza Soberano and Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray when he warned them against keeping ties with Gabriela Women's Party, he has never backed down from his accusation that Gabriela and other similar groups are front organizations of the Communist Party of the Philippines.

In an interview on Monday, Parlade even admitted that members of the Makabayan bloc in the House of Representatives, as well as former Bayan Muna party-list Representative Neri Colmenares, are under surveillance for their supposed links with communist rebels.

Copy-cat statement

Rosales issued the statement after Parlade’s radio interview where he said that Akbayan is a good left group unlike the others, which he said are dangerous and violent.

For Akbayan, Parlade's statement is a "copy-cat" of the statement issued by former Armed Forces chief and now National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon in 2007 about Akbayan.

It pointed out that Esperon made the remark supposedly to evade accountability over the extrajudicial killings of political activists under administration of then-President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

While Akbayan has spoken against the extortion activities and killings of non-state actors like the New People's Army (NPA), Rosales underscored that the political party has also condemned the abuses of military personnel against other left groups.

"We will not allow our consistent stand against the atrocities and abuses of non-state actors to be exploited by irresponsible military leaders to threaten and red-tag civilians, much more muzzle the voice of legitimate dissent,” she said.

“Abuse is abuse, whether it is from the NPA or the military. Akbayan will not tolerate either," Rosales added.

Never communist

Due to this, Rosales advised Parlade to correct his analysis of the Philippine left political spectrum after he accused Akbayan of being a breakaway faction of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP).

For her, Parlade's ignorance of Philippine left politics is an embarrassment to the military institution and its multi-billion intelligence fund.

"Despite the military's multi-billion intel fund, the General's lack of knowledge about the Philippine left is laughable and disturbing. Akbayan is democratic socialist,” Rosales said.

"It was never communist. We are already in the digital age, General Parlade. A simple internet search of Akbayan will provide you the right information. Google-google din minsan, General," she added. —Joviland Rita/KBK, GMA News