Antonio Parlade Jr: The general who can't be silenced

When he was a young boy growing up in Albay, Lieutenant General Antonio Parlade Jr. witnessed the abuses perpetrated by communist rebels to civilians. By high school, he was fully aware of their agenda.

Parlade, now the outspoken commander of the military's Southern Luzon Command, narrated to GMA News Online recently how communist rebels would extort money from a small ranch owned by his father. The harassment, he said, was too much that his father was forced to get rid of the ranch.

"Maraming NPA (New People's Army) sa Bicol... high school ako mayroon kaming maliit na rancho, hina-harass ng mga NPA 'yung may rancho doon at hinihingan ng revolutionary tax. Kaya napilitan kami, 'yung tatay ko, na ibenta 'yun. Buong baka ang hinihingi... eh ayaw ng tatay ko na nagbibigay," Parlade said.

Later, Parlade got wind of far more serious crimes committed by the rebels, particularly the ambush attacks in the late 1970s to the early 1980s.

Parlade has been in the military service for more than 30 years. Over the years, he has been that official who voices his strong opposition against communist insurgency, which he claimed has exploited a huge number of innocent civilians.

Aside from special courses and training in Nueva Ecija, he took a Command and General Staff Course at US Army Command and General Staff College, in Fort Leavenworth in Kansas, USA.

Parlade also obtained a Master of Arts in Strategic Studies at Deakin University in Melbourne, Australia.

Some of the awards that he had obtained include the Distinguished Conduct Star on July 1, 1999 and the Distinguished Service Star on May 1, 2007 and January 6, 2017.

He was also awarded with the Award of Chief of Staff, Armed Forces of the Philippines, Commendation Medal and Ribbon on December 18, 2018.

Red-tagging

Progressive and militant groups have been accusing Parlade of red-tagging activists as well as other prominent personalities. The high-ranking official, for his part, maintained that he has enough proof for every statement he makes against certain individuals.

Parlade also insisted that it was Communist Party of the Philippines founder Jose Maria Sison who had red-tagged some activist organizations.

"Ang definition kasi ng red-tagging [ay] accusing a person or an organization of subversive or treasonous action without evidence. 'Yun 'yung red-tagging. But this time, we have evidence," he said.

"This time we're saying na hindi tayo ang nag-red-tag, sila mismo ang nag-tag sa sarili nila. Hindi lang si Joma, pati mga kadre ng CPP, pati mga website nila, nandoon 'yun so red na red talaga sila. Ang kailangan na lang ebidensya," Parlade added.

The recent issue Parlade had faced was when he warned actress Liza Soberano against maintaining links with Gabriela Women's Party, which the military claims is a front organization of communist rebels.

Soberano's lawyer, Juanito Lim Jr., said Soberano neither supports nor antagonizes any person's political views. Supporting women and children's rights, he said, is just the actress' advocacy.

In a statement, CPP chief information officer Marco Valbuena had said that Parlade, as well as other officials of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Insurgency (NTF-ELCAC), should answer to any harm that may befall personalities he has linked to the underground movement.

"General Parlade only proved that the real targets of the NTF-ELCAC are the activists and critics of the regime," Valbuena said.

"Parlade displayed acute hysteria in targeting defenders of women and children’s rights, activists, progressive members of parliament as well as government officials. To fascist zealots like him, one is Red if one is not anti-Red. Those who do not march to this tune are autobranded as communists," he added.

Still, Valbuena said "the people are not easily intimidated by Parlade’s threat to use the fascist Anti-Terror Law to silence and suppress critics and the opposition."

"Over the past days, many have stood up and denounced Parlade’s red-tagging. Progressive and democratic forces have firmly defended their rights and freedom of expression especially in the face of the regime’s gross ineptness, corruption and fascism," Valbuena said.

Aside from Soberano, Parlade also linked Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray, actress Angel Locsin, her sister Ella Colmenares, and their relative, former congressman Neri Colmenares, to the communist group.

Gabriela partylist Representative Arlene Brosas said Parlade was "acting like a terrorist" by merely "red-tagging" and threatening personalities who are just helping people in need.

“Kung tingin ni Parlade na may naloloko siya sa sinasabi niya laban sa kanila, nagkakamali siya. Hindi terorismo ang pagtulong sa kapwa. Siya pa nga itong umaastang terorista sa ginagawa niyang pananakot sa mga nagmamalasakit sa kapwa,” Brosas said.

Can't be silenced

Parlade recalled that even during his early years in the military service, he was known for being outspoken, especially about allegations of corruption in the military organization.

"Tinyente pa 'ko, kapag ang issue malinaw na corruption o illegal na orders, sinasagot ko ang mga commanders ko, sinasabi kong hindi ganyan ang training sa atin, hindi ganyan ang turo sa atin sa Academy," Parlade said.

A product of the Philippine Military Academy, Parlade bared that he had caused the relief of his former senior commanders after he reported their irregular activities.

In 2011, Parlade, then spokesperson for the Philippine Army, was relieved from his post for saying that the ceasefire agreement between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front should be lifted in Basilan even as the government was then pursuing peace negotiations with the secessionist rebels.

Parlade said he is not gunning for a higher post in the military, stressing he is just doing his responsibilities as a soldier.

"Hindi ako nag-aambisyon ng kung anu-ano, sa dami-dami ng nasagasaan ko na upper class, nandiyan 'yan sila puwede nila akong balikan, although may dala akong dokumento palagi, mga kopya ng mga report ko palagi," he said.

"Ang akin lang naman magawa 'yung aking trabaho, I don't mind kung hanggang major lang ako, colonel lang ako, lieutenant colonel lang ako, I don't mind... ang importante tuloy 'yung trabaho natin."

Man of principles

No less than NTC-ELCAC vice chairman Hermogenes Esperon Jr. is standing by Parlade. For Esperon, the country's security adviser, Parlade was just disclosing that some groups are operating as legal fronts and that they are being "controlled" by "underground" organizations.

"Ngayon lang kasi nangyayari na mayroon tayong spokesperson na ganito na nagsasabi ng totoo at kailangan talaga magising na ang buong bayan. Palalawigin ba natin itong 52 years ng CPP-NPA na ginugulo tayo o gusto na nating wakasan ito," Esperon said.

Aside from Esperon, Interior Secretary Eduardo Año, former chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, also expressed support to the controversial general, even describing him as one of the best officers in the military.

"General Parlade is one of the best officers in the Armed Forces of the Philippines. I will just caution him to go to factual details so it would stand, do not make generalization [that] he cannot present the evidence in the bar of opinion or in the court. Kailangan talaga diyan may pinanghahawakan kang ebidensya," Año said in a recent television interview.

Parlade belongs to the Philippine Military Academy "Hinirang" Class of 1987. One of his mistahs, Philippine Navy chief Vice Admiral Giovanni Carlo Bacordo, branded Parlade as a man of principles.

Bacordo also described Parlade as "very focused" and "very righteous."

"He was my roommate in PMA, our first class year, kumbaga during our fourth year he was my roommate. Jun Parlade is focused, he is very focused and he is very ideal... masyado siyang maprinsipyo," Bacordo said.

"When he was a spokesman, I believe he was relieved from his post because he spoke his mind and he believed what he said was right. That is very General Parlade, since kadete pa kami ganyan na talaga siya," he added.

With the issues Parlade is facing, Bacordo said he believes in his mistah. "I have never seen him so focused as before," he said.

Parlade said he was instructed by Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana to continue what he is doing, provided that he has enough evidence for his allegations.

Parlade said the direction of the Armed Forces focuses on informing the public about the agenda of communist groups.

"Ako ba'y papapigil sa kanila? Hindi. Unang-una alam ko 'yung sinasabi ko. Consistent lang tayo, wala akong pakialam sa mga ano na 'yan. Importante 'yung maexpress natin tama at totoo," he said.

Parlade said he has since reached out to progressive groups so that he could have a discussion with them regarding certain issues, but the groups have not given him a chance to air his side to them.

"Ayaw talaga nilang mag-engage. Remember hinahamon din natin sila ng debate, sa lahat ng ano radio station or kung gusto nila TV station, sila ang pumili. Ayaw nila kasi alam na nila ang mangyayari," Parlade said.

A Senate inquiry, spearheaded by Senator Panfilo Lacson, is now ongoing to look into the alleged red tagging of some military officials, including Parlade. —KBK, GMA News