FILE PHOTO: Armed Forces Southern Luzon Command chief Lt. Gen. Antonio Parlade Jr. and concurrent spokesperson of the National Task Force to End Local Armed Conflict, the anti-insurgency body under the Office of the President. (Joseph Vidal/Senate PRIB File)
MANILA, Philippines — Controversial Army Lt. Gen. Antonio Parlade Jr. has resigned as the spokesperson of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-Elcac), the government’s counterinsurgency task force.
Parlade, who has drawn controversy for linking celebrities and lawmakers to communist rebels, said he had submitted his resignation letter to President Rodrigo Duterte “almost a month ago.”
His resignation as NTF-Elcac spokesperson came a few weeks before he reaches the mandatory retirement age of 56 on July 26.
He is currently the commander of Armed Forces of the Philippines – Southern Luzon Command.
Medal of Valor recipient Maj. Gen. Bartolome Bacarro, commander of the Army’s 2nd Infantry Division, will replace Parlade as Solcom commander.
“I want to ease the pressure to the NTF-Elcac principals who are being questioned by legislators for designating me inspite my being in the active service,” Parlade said in a statement.
In April, he said lawmakers who had sought to defund the task force are stupid.
Some senators had said Parlade’s appointment as spokesperson of NTF-Elcac was a violation of the Constitution which they said prohibits active military officers from occupying positions in the Executive branch.
Parlade, however, believes that there were “so many legal bases” justifying his appointment.
“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,” he said.
“Even then, I want to assure our critics that I am not running away from this fight,” he said.
“As a citizen of this country it behooves on me to continue with my patriotic duty to defend our country and end the 52 years onslaught of the CPP-NPA (Communist Party of the Philippines- New People’s Army) terrorists, whatever legal way I can. Ngayon pa na patapos na sila?,” he added,