Carpio cites Parlade’s threat vs. journo in new filing vs. anti-terror law

Retired Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio and his co-petitioners cited Southern Luzon Command (Solcom) chief Lieutenant General Antonio Parlade Jr.’s threat against a justice beat reporter in their latest filing before the SC to oppose the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020.

In a manifestation submitted to the high court, Carpio’s group said that a social media account under the name “Antonio Parlade” had published a post directed against Inquirer.net’s Tetch Torres-Tupas claiming that her story on the two members of the Aeta community seeking help from the SC after being allegedly tortured by state forces was “FAKE.”

“In a comment to the same post, Parlade claimed that she should be charged with violation of Section 12 of the ATA for ‘[a]iding the terrorists by spreading lies,” Carpio’s group said.

Based on Parlade’s comment on his post, when asked by a netizen if charges could be filed against Torres-Tupas, he replied: "Aiding the terrorists by spreading lies? Puede."

In separate statements, the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) and the Justice and Court Reporters Association (JUCRA) said Parlade's behavior shows the danger of the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020, the legality of which is being challenged with the Supreme Court.

The Carpio group manifestation also cited another post by Parlade dated February 4, 2021,  claiming Torres-Tupas’ sources were “[a]ll propaganda machines of the CPP.” CPP refers to Communist Party of the Philippines.

In another comment, the military general even said, “Hindi kita titigilan Tetch Tupas hanggang hindi mo sinasagot ang tanong ko. Inquirer.net kasama ka sa sasagot nito. Nakakahiya kayo sa mga kasamahan niyo sa media.”

With this, the petitioners said Parlade’s posts are “clear threats” against Torres-Tupas and the Philippine Daily Inquirer, who are “both members of the Free Press protected by Section 4 of the Bill of Rights.”

“They threaten criminal prosecution for a crime punishable of up to life imprisonment against Ms. Tupas or any journalist who publishes any news article that may e perceived as ‘FAKE’ or ‘false’ by the military,” Carpio’s group said.

“Such direct threats engender fear that chills journalists or even citizens from exercising their rights to freedom of expression and freedom of the press. As held in one case, ‘[the threat of sanctions may deter... as potently as the actual application of sanction’,” their manifestation read.

Carpio and his co-petitioners emphasized that Parlade’s threats show that “obvious invasion of protected expressive rights is possible only because the language of the ATA is vague and overboard, casting a wide net of possibilities.”

The Supreme Court started the oral arguments on petitions filed against the anti-terror law last Tuesday.

Retired SC justices, lawmakers, activists, students, artists, journalists, labor groups, and many others filed petitions against the anti-terrorism law, fearing it could be used to violate basic rights and legitimize supposed state attacks against government critics and activists. -MDM, GMA News