AMID criticisms on its officials’ red-tagging of numerous personalities, the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) has added six new spokespersons to better promote the government’s anti-insurgency campaign.
National Security Adviser and concurrent NTF-ELCAC vice chairman Hermogenes Esperon Jr. yesterday said Army Lt. Gen. Antonio Parlade Jr. and Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) undersecretary Lorraine Badoy will continue to be NTF-ELCAC’s representatives, but their statements will be limited to security operations for Parlade, and to social media affairs and sectoral concerns for Badoy.
“The designation of officials under the expanded pool of spokespersons allows for a focused discourse and engagement with the public on each spokesperson’s respective thematic coverage” Esperon said.
Named as new spokespersons of the task force are Interior Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya for local government affairs, barangay development program, and international engagement; Presidential Human Rights Committee Secretariat Undersecretary Severo Catura for international affairs, peace process, and human rights concerns; and Presidential Task Force on Media Security executive director Joel Egco for mass media engagements and fact-checker.
Also picked as spokespersons are Metropolitan Manila Development Authority spokesperson Celine Pialago for NTF-ELCAC public affairs and information and youth concerns; lawyer Marlon Bosantog for legal affairs and indigenous peoples’ concerns; and Gaye Florendo as assistant spokesperson on NTF-ELCAC public affairs and on indigenous peoples’ concerns.
Esperon said all departments at the national and local levels, as well as the regional and provincial task forces of the ELCAC, will also appoint spokespersons that will “discuss NTF-ELCAC matters in the interest of harmonizing public information and communication activities.”
Esperon’s announcement came at the heels of persistent calls to remove Parlade and Badoy as task force spokespersons following their remarks that linked some organizers of the community pantry in Quezon City to the CPP-NPA-NDFP.
Esperon said the NTF is still reviewing the inclusion of Parlade, an active member of the Philippine Army, in the list of spokespersons following claims of some lawmakers that an active soldier cannot concurrently occupy a civilian post.
Esperon said the regulation states that an active soldier cannot be designated to a civilian position that is identified as a “plantilla” position.
He said Parlade’s position as spokesman of the NTF-ELCAC is neither a plantilla position nor a career executive service office (CESO) position, pointing out that Parlade is not receiving any extra salary or allowance his “extra job.”
Sen. Panfilo Lacson expressed disappointment over the NTF-ELCAC decision to keep Parlade as spokesman and announced he was turning his back on the task force and will no longer defend its proposed annual appropriations during the budget deliberations.
In a statement, Lacson said since the NTF-ELCAC has been formed, he has “been their most reliable ally” in defending its budget.
“Since the time the NTF-ELCAC has been created, being the principal sponsor of their annual budget, I have been their most reliable ally in the Senate — until now. That said, there’s no point discussing, much less arguing with people who refuse to listen to reason to adhere to the rule of law,” said Lacson, chairman of the Senate committee on national defense.
“All I can say is, they made their choice, and it will cost them,” Lacson said, adding: “The Senate as an institution has made a collective and legal position on the issue of Parlade’s appointment in a civilian position which the Constitution clearly prescribes.”
Parlade earned the ire of senators following his “stupid” remark against lawmakers who had sought the defunding the NTF-ELCAC over his red-tagging statements.
Yesterday, Esperon said 65 percent or P10.68 billion of the funding for the Barangay Development program has been released to 712 barangays, while 110 barangays still have pending project proposals. The program covers 822 barangays that have been declared as insurgency-free.
Senate minority leader Franklin Drilon has earlier questioned what he called was the “speedy” release of the P10.6 billion amid calls from senators to realign the NTF-ELCAC budget to fund government’s COVID-19 response measures. — With Raymond Africa
