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Abang Lingkod Rep. Joseph Stephen “Caraps” Paduano. Image from your Facebook page
MANILA, Philippines – Lt. Gen. Antonio Parlade Jr. should file a case against lawmakers belonging to the Makabayan bloc, whom the government has accused of having ties to the communist armed movement if it has enough evidence in hand.
But if he doesn’t have any, House Minority Floor Leader and Abang Lingkod Representative Stephen Paduano said Monday that the military officer, whom he described as a loose cannon, should just shut up.
Paduano explained in a statement that Parlade’s recent adventurous identification and warnings to those who may be associated with the Communist Party of the Philippines and the New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) may do more harm than good to the government’s anti-insurgent efforts.
“You had better file a case in court or shut up if you have no evidence to show,” Paduano said in a statement. “He sounds like a loose cannon and his words may do more harm than good to the government’s anti-insurgency efforts.”
The minority leader’s warning came after Parlade previously revealed that former Bayan Muna representative and now party chairman Neri Colmenares, along with lawmakers from the Makabayan bloc, are currently under surveillance for their ties to the CPP.
“It’s not just him (Colmenares). They are all the members of the… Makabayan bloc who are members of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP). They are card members of the Communist Party of the Philippines, ”Parlade said in an interview on the ABS-CBN news channel.
According to Paduano, the Chamber’s leadership must act on the issue, since Parlade has not presented conclusive evidence, except insinuations and other accusations.
But if there is no evidence, the lawmaker suggests that Parlade heed Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana’s reminder to remain silent if evidence is lacking, especially since attacks against those who carry leftist ideologies are “illegal and incriminating.”
“Unless strong evidence is presented against any member of the House, it is the duty of the entire institution to defend any legislator against unfounded attacks,” he said.
“We all know that intelligence gathering is part of military duty, but we cannot allow Parlade to spread fear or even threaten people who he simply suspects of having communist ties,” he stressed.
Parlade, head of the Luzon Southern Command of the Philippine Armed Forces, has returned to being a controversial figure in recent times after his advice was taken from actress Liza Soberano and Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray, who walked away from the Gabriela’s women’s list. like some kind of veiled threat.
This was after Soberano joined an online forum hosted by Gabriela on safe spaces for women and other women’s rights issues. Gabriela has been repeatedly labeled by Parlade as a terrorist organization.
According to the three-star general, actress Angel Locsin and Colmenares would not tell Soberano and Gray about the truth behind Ella Colmenares, Locsin’s sister and cousin of Colmenares, who, according to him, is a member of the NPA.
Parlade also drew criticism after he asked the mayor of Manila, Isko Moreno, if the mayor is welcoming suspected NPA terrorists into the city, after the local executive ordered the removal of the tarps in the city, in which CPP, NPA and the National Democratic Front CPP-NPA-NDF) were declared as “persona non grata”.
JPV
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