Senate recommends removal of Parlade as NTF-ELCAC spokesperson

The Senate has recommended the removal of Lieutenant General Antonio Parlade Jr. as the spokesperson of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC).

This was among the recommendations introduced by the chamber in the Senate national defense panel's report on its inquiry into incidents of "red-tagging," which was approved on Wednesday.

According to the recommendation, Parlade's appointment as NTF-ELCAC spokesperson was in violation of Article XVI, Section 5, Paragraph 4 of the 1987 Constitution, which provides that no active member of the military may be appointed or designated in any capacity to a civilian position in the government.

Senate panel chair Panfilo Lacson maintained that the NTF-ELCAC is a civilian body.

"Consistent with the aforementioned constitutional provision and as a matter of policy, we recommend that Lt. Gen. Parlade be immediately relieved of his duties as spokesperson of NTF-ELCAC," the recommendation read.

"We should prevent the potential conflict between the policies of NTF-ELCAC and the mandate of the security sector by engaging a spokesperson who does not hold concurrent mandates in the security forces. This should be a prerequisite for a Spokesperson in the faithful performance of his official duty," it added.

Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon, who introduced the recommendation, has earlier questioned Parlade's designation as NTF-ELCAC spokesperson.

"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," he said during his interpellation on the committee report last week.

Drilon said Parlade should no longer be spokesperson of the NTF-ELCAC as his designation is "of doubtful validity."

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.

The report also said there is no need for a new law to penalize red-tagging as there were enough provisions under other judicial remedies for such cases.

Nevertheless, an amendment to the recommendation was proposed and accepted on Wednesday allowing any other Senate panel to study and consider proposed measures criminalizing red-tagging.

A recommendation was also included to mandate government agencies to conduct an in-depth study to identify the root causes why minors, students, and the underprivileged are "lured and indoctrinated into groups promoting the overthrow of the government, or conduct terroristic acts." —LDF, GMA News