Parlade supports socmed regulation under anti-terror law, says platform being used in bomb-making

Southern Luzon Command chief Lieutenant General Antonio Parlade Jr. on Monday said he supports the proposal to regulate social media under the anti-terrorism law.

Facing the Commission on Appointments, Parlade claimed that the platform is being used by terror groups to recruit the youth and also to teach how to create explosives.

"We all know that the social media is being used by elements, by organizations to destabilize the government. As we speak even, the social media they are talking about how to make bombs, Molotov bombs," he told lawmakers.

"We are speaking here of some organizations, legal organizations discussing about how to make Molotov bombs in social media... It's happening in social media and we're able to monitor it but we cannot do anything about it," he added.

Maintaining that AFP chief Lieutenant General Gilbert Gapay was right in proposing such with the end goal of preventing terrorism, Parlade said the anti-terror law could be used to foil the "preparatory acts" of those planning terror attacks.

"Social media per se should be accessible for all but the actions of people using this platform should be regulated. I don't know exactly how we can do that," Parlade said.

Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon, however, pointed out it can be classified as "prior restraint" which is against the Bill of Rights.

"I submit to the wisdom of the senator. We should not suppress freedom of expression but we have to do something about people who are irresponsible in using or accessing social media," Parlade responded.

He also acknowledged that netizens have the right to air their grievances against the government.

"It's very clear in our Armed Forces that these are allowed. In fact, the law allows it. It's very, very clear. Your sentiments against the government is part of democratic process but to convince people to join a terrorist organization to fight the government and probably hurt other people, that's the thing that we're concerned of," Parlade said.

In October 2018, Parlade, then AFP deputy chief of staff for operations, tagged several schools in Metro Manila where the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) is allegedly recruiting students for the supposed Red October ouster plot.

Red October refers to supposed efforts to unseat Duterte by the communists, allegedly with the help of legitimate opposition groups as well as farmers, laborers and fisherfolks.

The schools denied that their students were being tapped to be part of the ouster plot.

Senator Panfilo Lacson, principal sponsor of the anti-terror law, told the military officers to relay to Gapay that he should have been more careful and specific when he made the proposal on social media regulation under the controversial measure.

"This is a very sensitive issue, subject of discussion and even pending decision by the [Supreme] Court. There are at least 26 petitions filed already. So 'yan, siguro dapat kinwalify niya ang kanyang statement," Lacson said.

"I know that the intention of the CSAFP when he issued the statement was not along the line of imposing restraint on social media or media in general. And that is not the legislative intent of the anti-terror law when we deliberated on it on the floor and when we passed it," he added.

Parlade was asked to comment about Gapay's remark because he was the highest ranking official among the 15 military officers who faced the CA for confirmation.—AOL, GMA News