DND reinstates officials behind list red-tagging UP alumni

DEFENSE Secretary Delfin Lorenzana on Tuesday, March 24, 2021, ordered the reinstatement of two military officials who were implicated in the publication of an “erroneous” list of University of the Philippines (UP) students and alumni with alleged links to the communist rebels.

In a statement, Lorenzana said he believed that the two officials were not directly involved in the publication of the unverified and unofficial list.

The two officials are Major General Alex Luna, Armed Forces of the Philippines deputy chief of staff for intelligence, and Major General Benedict Arevalo, deputy chief of staff for civil military operations.

“I am not completely clearing them of liability. In fact, they were punished under the principle of command responsibility. Their track records would show that they have always performed their duties conscientiously and competently,” said Lorenzana.

“Having said this, I have requested that the AFP reinstate Maj. Gen. Arevalo and Maj. Gen. Luna to their previous commands, but with the stern warning that similar incidents cannot and should not happen again in the future. Naniniwala ako sa second chances, lalo na kung nadamay lamang naman sila sa pagkukulang at pagkakamali ng iba. Bigyan natin sila ng panibagong pagkakataon na patunayan ang kanilang katapatan sa kanilang tungkulin,” he added.

The list, which was released by the Office of the Civil Military Operations, tagged at least 20 UP alumni and students as members of the New People’s Army (NPA), armed unit of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP).

Among those on the list are Alexander Padilla, former Philhealth president and chief executive officer; Rafael Angelo Aquino, a member of the Free Legal Assistance Group; Marie Liza Dacanay, president of the Institute for Entrepreneurship in Asia; and playwright Liza Magtoto.

All denied being members of the communist group and slammed the AFP for releasing an erroneous list that put their lives in danger given the administration’s intensified campaign against insurgency.

The list was posted on CMO’s Facebook page in support of Lorenzana’s order to terminate the UP-DND accord that prohibited police and military personnel from entering any UP campus without prior notice.

The CMO apologized for posting a “wrong list.” Lorenzana then ordered Luna’s relief while Arevalo went on leave to pave the way for the investigation. (SunStar Philippines)

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