Hardly an apology, says ex-peace negotiator on AFP's remarks

Former peace negotiator and Health Undersecretary Alexander Padilla on Tuesday said the military's supposed explanation for wrongfully tagging him as one of the University of the Philippines' (UP) graduates who became a rebel was "hardly an apology."

In a television interview, Padilla said the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) even justified its actions.

“I cannot fully accept it dahil it was hardly an apology to begin with,” Padilla said when asked to clarify his response.

“Sabi ko nga, parang jinustify pa nila na may inconsistency… Kapag sinabi mong inconsisteny parang sinabi nila 'Nagkamali lang ako ng kaunti. Hindi pala NPA, CPP pala. 'Yun 'yung inconsistency',” he added.

On Monday, Padilla said he accepted the regrets expressed by the  AFP for including him in the list of UP graduates who have become members of the New People's Army (NPA), the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP).

The list, posted on the Facebook page of the AFP Information Exchange, has already been deleted following uproar from netizens and various groups.

AFP’s Civil-Military Operations Office (J7) apologized on Sunday night for "inconsistencies" in the list of students who allegedly joined the New People's Army which it posted recently.

The military said an investigation is ongoing to find out how the list of students who allegedly joined the NPA was published.—Joviland Rita/LDF, GMA News