DEFENSE Secretary Delfin Lorenzana yesterday told the Armed Forces to ignore retired Army general Antonio Parlade who went yesterday to People’s Power Monument on EDSA to call for an end to corruption in the government, including at the Commission on Elections (Comelec).
Parlade, a former commander of the military’s Southern Luzon Command in Lucena City, was joined by about 100 people, some of them calling for a revolutionary government (revgov) and carrying placards that said, “We support Duterte, rev gov na.”
Parlade became controversial for red-tagging groups and individuals during his stint as spokesman of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict. He went to the People Power Monument yesterday wearing a polo shirt with the logo of the Southern Luzon Command.
Parlade, a disqualified presidential candidate, said he went to the area to listen to the sentiments of people, including about the rising cost of fuel. He said he is not necessarily joining the revgov call.
“I am here to listen to the complaints of our people, the ordinary people, this is spontaneous. I got a lot of message asking me ‘sir, we will have a chance to talk to you,” said Parlade.
“We are not saying that’s the solution – revolutionary government… We are just informing the people that this is our situation now. It’s up to you to look for solution. If it’s revgov, so be it,” added Parlade.
The Quezon City Police District said the “dialogue” touched issues such as revolutionary government, corruption in Comelec, and abolition of the party-list system.
Lorenzana, in a statement late yesterday, denounced what he said was Parlade’s attempt to drag the Department of National Defense and the Armed Forces to his supposed call for a revolutionary government.
Lorenzana said all Filipinos are entitled to freedom of expression “but this should be done through proper grievance mechanisms.”
“We at the Department of Defense denounce the attempt by Lt. Gen. Parlade to involve the Department specially the AFP in airing his personal grievances and his call for a revolutionary government,” he said.
Parlade has not directly called for a revolutionary government.
Communications Secretary and acting presidential spokesman Martin Andanar said while Parlade is guaranteed his right and freedom of speech and expression even if he is calling for a revolutionary government, “the retired general’s call is better left ignored.”
Parlade, citing his personal experience, said the country’s “real” and “worst” problem is the corruption in the Comelec which disqualified him to run for president in the coming May elections.
Parlade said he was asked to pay at least P2 million just to be allowed to run for president. He said he did not pay “until finally my name was removed (from the list of presidential candidates) for some flimsy reason, technical disqualification.”
Parlade said it would not be long before the country will be run by an Al Capone, an American gangster, if the problem in Comelec continues.
He said gang lords will be funding the election of candidates in their desire to have influence in the government.
“I don’t know (if this will lead to revolutionary government). If it reaches that, so be it,” said Parlade.
AFP spokesman Col. Ramon Zagala re-affirmed the military’s loyalty to the Constitution and to the duly-constituted authorities amid the latest controversy involving Parlade.
“While the AFP respects the people’s freedom of expression, we do not and will not support extra legal means outside the constitution which we have sworn to protect including the sanctity of the electoral process,” Zagala said. — With Jocelyn Montemayor
