Gag Order Imposed On Parlade, Badoy
The two spokespersons of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict – Lt. Gen. Antonio Parlade and Communications Undersecretary Lorraine Badoy – were told to “desist from issuing further statements on the community pantries.”
A combination of The Philippine STAR file
photos shows National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict spokespersons Lt. Gen. Antonio Parlade, head of the military’s Southern Luzon Command, and Lorraine Badoy, Presidential Communications Operations Office undersecretary.
National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr. has imposed a gag order on two spokespersons of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) following their red-tagging gaffes against community pantry organizers.
Lt. Gen. Antonio Parlade and Presidential Communications Operations Office Undersecretary Lorraine Badoy are the two official spokespersons for the NTF-ELCAC, both of whom linked community pantries sprouting all over the country to communists.
“I have earlier asked the two spokespersons to desist from issuing further statements on the community pantries. The official stand of the NTF-ELCAC is to support and encourage bayanihan/community pantries,” Esperon said in a text message.
The red-tagging of community pantries has drawn ire from many sectors – most notably that of several senators who have threatened to defund the NTF-ELCAC – after organizer Anna Patricia Non temporarily halted the operations of the Maginhawa community pantry over “red-tagging” on social media.
Parlade has gotten into a word-war with senators, after he called them “stupid” for threatening to recall the P19-billion budget allocated to the NTF-ELCAC.
Esperon said he has not gotten word from Parlade after he claimed he is ready to submit his resignation to end the issue.
Esperon also called on the public to understand the importance of the multi-billion Barangay Development Program (BDP) of the NTF-ELCAC which is already under implementation.
He said that defunding the program would imperil the 922 covered barangays, which were previous strongholds of the New People’s Army.
“The failure to deliver this program would not just mean frustration among us at NTF-ELCAC and the principles that we stand for. Rather, the failure to deliver the Barangay Development Program to the formerly conflicted communities that need it most is tantamount to abandoning their aspirations for a dignified life,” Esperon added in a statement.
The security official stated that the public can report any incidents of misuse, corruption and malversation regarding the BDP to concerned authorities.
“It is fairly easy to make speculations thus far on misuse of the BDP funds, but to
substantiate allegations is a matter that requires comprehensive investigations altogether.
“Nevertheless, I implore all the concerned stakeholders and the general public to understand the import of what the NTF-ELCAC and the BDP seek to accomplish,” he added.
Call for audit
On Saturday, April 24, ranking congressmen called for an audit of NTF-ELCAC’s P19-billion budget, following the agency’s reported profiling and red-tagging of organizers of community pantries.
House Deputy Speaker Mikee Romero, appropriations committee vice chairperson Juliette Uy and overseas workers affairs committee vice chairperson Jocelyn Tulfo all called for a congressional inquiry on how the anti-insurgency body has been utilizing its funding.
“We want NTF-ELCAC officials to give details as to where and how the funds are being used and how their vilification tactics translate to having more communist rebels turning their backs on insurgency,” Romero stressed.
The 1-Pacman congressman suggested that Congress realign the budget to more urgent needs if the task force fails to support its claims.
“The rampant unlawful profiling and obvious red-tagging of organizers of community pantries by officials of the NTF-ELCAC are simply too wicked to be ignored by the members of this august chamber,” Romero said in a statement.
He said the bulk of the NTF-ELCAC budget could be rechanneled to giving more direct financial aid to the unemployed workers displaced by the pandemic, upgrading contact tracing abilities and providing more hospital beds.
“Some may also go to upgrading the capabilities of our armed forces and the Philippine Coast Guard to guard our maritime borders,” he said.
Uy and Tulfo agreed with this proposition.
Uy asked the Commission on Audit (COA) and the National Privacy Commission (NPC) to immediately conduct their respective special audits on the NTF-ELCAC.
“The House inquiry, supported by the findings of COA and NPC, can result in rechanneling the funds of NTF-ELCAC to augment the government’s (fight against) COVID-19,” the Misamis Oriental congresswoman suggested.
“The audits are fact-finding measures consistent with the oversight authority of Congress as provided in the 1987 Constitution,” she added.
Tulfo, of ACT-CIS party-list, stressed that the recent actions by NTF and its spokesman Parlade against community pantry organizers should be “an impetus to Congress and Malacañang to review the use of NTF-ELCAC’s P19-billion budget.”
The Makabayan bloc already called for defunding of the task force and the transfer of its funds to another cash assistance or ayuda program for poor families.
More funds?
While some lawmakers called for the realignment of NTF-ELCAC’s P19-billion fund, House Minority Floor Leader Rep. Stephen Paduano pushed for an increase of the budget.
Paduano, a former communist rebel leader turned politician, disclosed that the P19-billion budget is “too small” to cover all barangays declared as insurgency-free, while defending it during budget deliberations.
Of the P19 billion, Western Visayas is getting P1.48 billion, including the P520 million to be received by 26 insurgency-cleared barangays in Negros Occidental, the majority of which are located in Escalante City, records of the Department of Budget and Management showed.
Paduano stressed the need for NTF-ELCAC to also include more insurgency-affected barangays and questioned the basis to defund the agency, as he criticized some lawmakers for riding on the issue, which he suspects are for political reasons.
“We in the government should help the people, especially those in the mountains, which had long been neglected for several decades,” Paduano said, stressing that he had been there for decades also.
While he condemned the “red-tagging” of the community pantry in Manila, Paduano said using it as a political agenda by some to defund NTF-ELCAC should not be the case.
Paduano advised Parlade to be responsible in issuing statements.
Maj. Cenon Pancito, the Army’s 3rd Infantry Division spokesman, said the BDP is the government flagship undertaking to end the local armed communist conflict by addressing the root causes of insurgency.
Each of the insurgency-cleared barangays will receive P20 million worth of infrastructure projects, according to Pancito. – With Gilbert Bayoran, Edu Punay
Lt. Gen. Antonio Parlade and Presidential Communications Operations Office Undersecretary Lorraine Badoy are the two official spokespersons for the NTF-ELCAC, both of whom linked community pantries sprouting all over the country to communists.
“I have earlier asked the two spokespersons to desist from issuing further statements on the community pantries. The official stand of the NTF-ELCAC is to support and encourage bayanihan/community pantries,” Esperon said in a text message.
The red-tagging of community pantries has drawn ire from many sectors – most notably that of several senators who have threatened to defund the NTF-ELCAC – after organizer Anna Patricia Non temporarily halted the operations of the Maginhawa community pantry over “red-tagging” on social media.
Parlade has gotten into a word-war with senators, after he called them “stupid” for threatening to recall the P19-billion budget allocated to the NTF-ELCAC.
Esperon said he has not gotten word from Parlade after he claimed he is ready to submit his resignation to end the issue.
Esperon also called on the public to understand the importance of the multi-billion Barangay Development Program (BDP) of the NTF-ELCAC which is already under implementation.
He said that defunding the program would imperil the 922 covered barangays, which were previous strongholds of the New People’s Army.
“The failure to deliver this program would not just mean frustration among us at NTF-ELCAC and the principles that we stand for. Rather, the failure to deliver the Barangay Development Program to the formerly conflicted communities that need it most is tantamount to abandoning their aspirations for a dignified life,” Esperon added in a statement.
The security official stated that the public can report any incidents of misuse, corruption and malversation regarding the BDP to concerned authorities.
“It is fairly easy to make speculations thus far on misuse of the BDP funds, but to
substantiate allegations is a matter that requires comprehensive investigations altogether.
“Nevertheless, I implore all the concerned stakeholders and the general public to understand the import of what the NTF-ELCAC and the BDP seek to accomplish,” he added.
Call for audit
On Saturday, April 24, ranking congressmen called for an audit of NTF-ELCAC’s P19-billion budget, following the agency’s reported profiling and red-tagging of organizers of community pantries.
House Deputy Speaker Mikee Romero, appropriations committee vice chairperson Juliette Uy and overseas workers affairs committee vice chairperson Jocelyn Tulfo all called for a congressional inquiry on how the anti-insurgency body has been utilizing its funding.
“We want NTF-ELCAC officials to give details as to where and how the funds are being used and how their vilification tactics translate to having more communist rebels turning their backs on insurgency,” Romero stressed.
The 1-Pacman congressman suggested that Congress realign the budget to more urgent needs if the task force fails to support its claims.
“The rampant unlawful profiling and obvious red-tagging of organizers of community pantries by officials of the NTF-ELCAC are simply too wicked to be ignored by the members of this august chamber,” Romero said in a statement.
He said the bulk of the NTF-ELCAC budget could be rechanneled to giving more direct financial aid to the unemployed workers displaced by the pandemic, upgrading contact tracing abilities and providing more hospital beds.
“Some may also go to upgrading the capabilities of our armed forces and the Philippine Coast Guard to guard our maritime borders,” he said.
Uy and Tulfo agreed with this proposition.
Uy asked the Commission on Audit (COA) and the National Privacy Commission (NPC) to immediately conduct their respective special audits on the NTF-ELCAC.
“The House inquiry, supported by the findings of COA and NPC, can result in rechanneling the funds of NTF-ELCAC to augment the government’s (fight against) COVID-19,” the Misamis Oriental congresswoman suggested.
“The audits are fact-finding measures consistent with the oversight authority of Congress as provided in the 1987 Constitution,” she added.
Tulfo, of ACT-CIS party-list, stressed that the recent actions by NTF and its spokesman Parlade against community pantry organizers should be “an impetus to Congress and Malacañang to review the use of NTF-ELCAC’s P19-billion budget.”
The Makabayan bloc already called for defunding of the task force and the transfer of its funds to another cash assistance or ayuda program for poor families.
More funds?
While some lawmakers called for the realignment of NTF-ELCAC’s P19-billion fund, House Minority Floor Leader Rep. Stephen Paduano pushed for an increase of the budget.
Paduano, a former communist rebel leader turned politician, disclosed that the P19-billion budget is “too small” to cover all barangays declared as insurgency-free, while defending it during budget deliberations.
Of the P19 billion, Western Visayas is getting P1.48 billion, including the P520 million to be received by 26 insurgency-cleared barangays in Negros Occidental, the majority of which are located in Escalante City, records of the Department of Budget and Management showed.
Paduano stressed the need for NTF-ELCAC to also include more insurgency-affected barangays and questioned the basis to defund the agency, as he criticized some lawmakers for riding on the issue, which he suspects are for political reasons.
“We in the government should help the people, especially those in the mountains, which had long been neglected for several decades,” Paduano said, stressing that he had been there for decades also.
While he condemned the “red-tagging” of the community pantry in Manila, Paduano said using it as a political agenda by some to defund NTF-ELCAC should not be the case.
Paduano advised Parlade to be responsible in issuing statements.
Maj. Cenon Pancito, the Army’s 3rd Infantry Division spokesman, said the BDP is the government flagship undertaking to end the local armed communist conflict by addressing the root causes of insurgency.
Each of the insurgency-cleared barangays will receive P20 million worth of infrastructure projects, according to Pancito. – With Gilbert Bayoran, Edu Punay
