Drilon calls Parlade disrespectful after 'stupid' remark vs. senators

Senate Minority Floor Leader Franklin Drilon said Friday that National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) spokesperson Lieutenant General Antonio Parlade Jr. is “disrespectful” after calling some senators who wanted to defund the task force “stupid.”

“It’s really disrespectful to say the least if Parlade said that we are stupid for passing this (budget for NTF-ELCAC),” Drilon said in a statement.

In an interview with CNN Thursday, Parlade said it is “stupid” for the senators to recall the budget for the task force as they were the ones who approved the budget to continue NTF-ELCAC's program.

Drilon reiterated that some senators, including him, have objected the appropriation of funds to the anti-insurgency task force.

“I was objecting to this (NTF-ELCAC budget) from day one. It’s on record. I have been objecting to it…. In the Senate, I questioned this. I placed safeguards. It was accepted in the Senate. In the bicameral, however, I am sure Malacañang lobbied that it came out the way it [is] written today,” Drilon said.

On the other hand, Senator Nancy Binay said that while she acknowledged the “good intention” of the task force to bring development to areas cleared of insurgency, she also questioned the types of projects NTF-ELCAC will implement using the P19-billion budget.

“In fact during the budget deliberations I raised this issue kasi ang fear ko nga is madoble ang trabaho (I fear there will be duplication of functions), she said.

"For example, school buildings -- we know [that DepEd has this] last mile program and basically it is the same program,” Binay said in an interview on ANC.

“‘[The] farm-to-market road,  the Department of Agriculture has a program o this. And another issue is [the] capability of a barangay to handle a P20-million fund,"  she pointed out.

Binay said the Senate's perspective in passing NTF-ELCAC's budget was to "give the task force a chance" until the COVID-19 situation changed the lawmakers' views.

Moreover, Drilon and Binay reiterated that Parlade is violating the Constitution by holding a civilian position while actively serving in the military.

“A first-year law student will tell you a cardinal rule in the constitution that those who are in the active military service are prohibited from occupying civilian positions. That violates the Constitution. He is illegally occupying his position as the task force’s spokesperson," Drilon said.

It is one of [my] disappointments. Hindi na pinapakinggan ang Senado (the Senate was ignored)” Drilon added, urging Parlade to resign.

In March, the Senate recommended the removal of Parlade as NTF-ELCAC’s spokesman.

However, Parlade disregarded the Senate recommendation, and said it is up to the Executive Department to decide on the matter. —LBG, GMA News