Lt. Gen. Antonio Parlade, Jr., Southern Luzon Command (SOLCOM) chief (PNA File photo)
MANILA – A ranking official of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF ELCAC) lambasted the pronouncements of Free Legal Assistance Group (FLAG) chairperson Chel Diokno that President Rodrigo R. Duterte's persistent red-tagging claims against Bayan Muna Party-list Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate are "baseless and malicious".
In a statement forwarded to the Philippine News Agency (PNA) Friday, Southern Luzon Command (SOLCOM) chief, Lt. Gen. Antonio Parlade, Jr., said FLAG and Diokno did not pay attention to the testimonies of former rebels in the Senate hearing who consistently identified party-list members as affiliates and allies of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army (CPP-NPA).
"Chel Diokno and Rep Carlos Zarate speak the same language about red-tagging, saying that it is baseless and irresponsible. We just had the Senate inquiry on this issue. How can these people be so deaf and blind (to) what the former rebels who attended the Senate inquiry were saying? They dropped tons of bombs in that hearing and they chose not to hear them? I guess it's called selective hearing," said Parlade, who is also NTF ELCAC spokesperson.
Nothing to gain
Former rebels, he said, would have nothing to gain by lying about their personal knowledge regarding the connection of party-list lawmakers to the communist terrorists.
"What would these former rebels gain by telling a lie about their personal knowledge and first-hand information about the connection of (Kabataan) Rep. Sarah Elago, Rep. Carlos Zarate, (Bayan Muna) Rep. Eufemia Cullamat, (Bayan Muna) Rep. Ferdinand Gaite, (Bayan Muna) Neri Colmenares, and (former Bayan Muna representative) Teddy Casiño to the underground movement?" he asked.
He added that these former NPA members risked their lives and their families for coming up with their exposè during the Senate hearing where they all took an oath, to tell the truth.
The CPP-NPA threat against these former rebels is very real as the communist rebels have their dreaded Special Partisan Unit (SPARU) to go after those who have offended them and stepped against the party line.
"They knew that their families' lives (were) also threatened because of their first-hand information on what the CPP-NPAs' dreaded Special Partisan Units (SPARU) does to their own kind. Remember Father Conrado Balweg? Leopoldo 'Ka Hector' Mabilangan? Randy Malayao? Randy Echanis? The Sagay 9? The Ranjo 'Digos' massacre? The Inopacan 'Oplan VD' Massacre? Oplans 'Olympia', 'Ahos', 'Kadena de Amor', etc? Who did all these killings? And then, they claim it is their lives that are endangered after being red-tagged by their own founder?" Parlade said.
He said the government is now taking action after getting first-hand information on the duplicity of the CPP-NPA and its underground allies or groups and individuals who refused to lift a finger against the communist terrorists even with the wealth of information available.
Parlade said how can "hypocrites" claim irresponsibility when it is their group or bloc that has been identified by these former rebels and cadres, under oath, as recruiters for the NPAs.
"Don't hide behind clever words and dupe us some more, just because you think you harbor the illusion that you are honorable lawyers giving free legal assistance. Pro bono? It's not so free when you've made a small fortune out of retainers fee from organizations like Karapatan and other CPP organizations, right? Do you want us to name them all? And yes we can also present your receipts," he added.
The CPP-NPA is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States, European Union, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the Philippines.
"Indeed Mr. Diokno and Mr. Zarate, what you are doing is dangerous. How many more James Durimon alias 'Jurros' of your SPARU are out there to make their hit and blame the government? Now that Honey Mae Suazo, Secretary-General of Karapatan in Southern Mindanao, has gone hiding with CPP money, when is that hit going to happen? Only you, Mr. Zarate can tell. Only you and your CPP," Parlade added. (PNA)
