Parlade ‘like a terrorist’ by threatening celebs, advocates –solon

Gabriela Party-list Rep. Arlene Brosas on Friday said Lieutenant General Antonio Parlade Jr. was "acting like a terrorist" by "red-tagging" and threatening personalities who were helping people in need.

Parlade, who is part of the government's anti-communist insurgency task force, linked actress Angel Locsin, her sister Ella Colmenares, and their relative, former congressman Neri Colmenares, to the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP).

He has also warned celebrities Liza Soberano and Catriona Gray against being associated with women's rights group Gabriela, which he claimed was a communist front.

At a virtual press briefing, Brosas said Locsin and Ella are known for helping people affected by calamities.

“Kung tingin ni Parlade na may naloloko siya sa sinasabi niya laban sa kanila, nagkakamali siya. Hindi terorismo ang pagtulong sa kapwa. Siya pa nga itong umaastang terorista sa ginagawa niyang pananakot sa mga nagmamalasakit sa kapwa,” the representative said.

“Parlade is a publicly-funded Halloween mascot for repeatedly scaring off and threatening women’s rights advocates,” she added.

She renewed her call to defund the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Insurgency (NTF-ELCAC) and allocate additional funds for social services instead.

Brosas also claimed that the government's anti-insurgency campaign was a failure.

“Ipanawagan natin na kung seryoso talaga ang gobyerno na tugunan ang mga ugat, ang mga talagang pinagmumulan ng armed conflict, dapat umupo sa usapang pangkapayapaan ang gobyerno na ito,” she added.

Progressive groups have objected to being labeled as communist rebels or fronts, saying red-tagging had placed their members' lives in danger. Several red-tagged activists have been killed. — DVM, GMA News