RETIRING Lieutenant General Antonio Parlade confirmed on Thursday, July 1, 2021, that he has resigned as one of the spokespersons of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-Elcac).
Parlade, who is retiring from military service on July 26, 2021, said he submitted his resignation to President Rodrigo Duterte almost a month ago as he wanted to ease the pressure on NTF-Elcac higher officials who are being questioned over the legality of his assignment.
He said he has yet to receive a response from Duterte.
“There are so many legal bases justifying my appointment as constitutional but I will not belabor myself with those. I am happy that there are now six more civilian NTF spokespersons who shall carry on the fight passionately and with conviction,” Parlade said.
He said he will continue his fight against insurgency, particularly against the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army.
Parlade is the Southern Luzon Command chief. Lawmakers have questioned his appointment as NTF-Elcac spokesperson as Article 16, Section 5 of the 1987 Constitution provides that, "No member of the armed forces in the active service shall be appointed or designated in any capacity to a civilian position in the government including government-owned or controlled corporations or any of their subsidiaries."
Parlade and another NTF-Elcac spokesperson Lorraine Badoy, were issued a gag order by National Security Adviser and NTF-Elcac chief Hermogenes Esperon Jr. after they linked organizers of community pantries to the communist movement. (SunStar Philippines)