Drilon questions Parlade's designation as NTF-ELCAC spox

Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon on Wednesday questioned the designation of Lieutenant General Antonio Parlade Jr. as spokesperson of the government's task force against local communist armed conflict, saying it could be a violation of the Constitution.

During the Senate plenary session, Drilon interpellated Senator Panfilo Lacson on the report of the Senate Committee on National Defense and Security in its inquiry into incidents of "red-tagging."

Lacson confirmed that Parlade, while serving as commander of the Southern Luzon Command at the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), concurrently serves as spokesperson of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC).

Drilon raised concern about Parlade's designation at the NTF-ELCAC, noting that under the 1987 Constitution, no member of the armed forces in the active service can be appointed in any capacity to a civilian position in the government.

He is referring to Article XVI, Section 5, Paragraph 4 of the Constitution.

"I would like to think that the sponsor will agree that the designation as a spokesperson not only poses problems on his personality but also could be questioned on the ground that we are designating an active military officer in a purely civilian office," Drilon said.

Lacson agreed with Drilon's observation, saying that Parlade's designation to the NTF-ELCAC may even be questioned before the Supreme Court.

He, nevertheless, acknowledged that there are other active military officers in the past that have been appointed to positions.

"Maybe it's only a matter of questioning it before the Supreme Court and the Constitution is quite clear as you mentioned it," Lacson said.

"So it is our position that after we adopt this committee report, we should send a copy to the chief of staff AFP as well as to the Secretary of National Defense so this violation of the Constitution should be rectified," he added.

Drilon suggested that the rectification be reflected in the committee report.

"I would like to think that the rectification would be that General Parlade should no longer be the spokesperson of NTF-ELCAC because that designation is of doubtful validity," he said.

"We should include that as a recommendation of the chamber when we send out the report," he added.

Lacson said that there is already a recommendation in the committee report which seeks to "prevent the potential conflict between the policies of the NTF-ELCAC and the mandate of the security sector by engaging a spokesperson who does not hold concurrent mandates in the security force."

Nevertheless, he said he is open to accept a "much simpler language" to include Drilon's proposal in the committee report.

The committee report has said that Parlade's comments on certain personalities whom he claimed were members of the Communist movement has cast in bad light the government's anti-insurgency campaign and the Anti-Terror Law.

"Coming from a high-ranking military official, whose statements may be misconstrued as the policy not only of the NTF-ELCAC but also that of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the aforementioned contentious pronouncements are mere propaganda efforts which is inconsequential—if not counterproductive—to the cause of the anti-insurgency program," the committee said in its report.

"Such unnecessary media visibility is not part of the whole of the nation approach in countering terrorism. It draws attention away from the actual progress of localized peace talks and undermines the Anti-Terrorism Act," it added. — BM, GMA News