Lawmaker files complaint at Ombudsman over general's 'red-tagging'
MANILA, Philippines — A lawmaker has filed a complaint at the Office of the Ombudsman against a high-ranking member of the Armed Forces of the Philippines for allegedly red-tagging him and his party-list during the 2019 campaign period.
The complaint was filed by Rep. Carlos Zarate (Bayan Muna party-list) against Maj. Gen. Antonio Parlade Jr of the military Southern Luzon Command — whom he accused of publicly attacking his "person and character in various platforms and [engaging] in black propaganda and negative campaigning constituting prohibited political activity against [him, the] Bayan Muna party-list, and the Makabayan Coalition."
Zarate noted that Parlade,in a speech on April 5, 2019, called Bayan Muna a front for the Communist Party of the Philippines and that this accusation was subsequently run by news publications.
The House deputy minority leader said this was a violation of Section 3 (e) of Republic Act 3019 or "The Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act," in which the "causing of any undue injury to any party" constitutes corrupt practice of public officers.
He added that Parlade's actions also violated Section 55 of the Administrative Code of 1987 which prohibits members of the armed forces from participating in partisan political activity.
The complaint filed against Parlade also calls for his suspension pending the Ombudsman's investigation.
Zarate: Parlade used position to attack party-list
Zarate said he and other Makabayan representatives on April 17, 2019 filed a separate criminal complaint against the army at the Commission of Elections.
He claims that Parlade "intensified" his negative campaign against Bayan Muna in response.
"Without letup, Respondent Parlade once again used his official position to personally attack me and Bayan Muna," the lawmaker said.
He went on to list four succeeding instances in 2019 wherein Parlade's alleged red-tagging remarks against Zarate and his party were published by news outlets.
Parlade in 2018 alleged that communist rebels were planning to destabilize the current administration on September 21.
The alleged "Red October" plot to oust President Rodrigo Duterte never materialized but both Parlade and Malacañang have maintained that the claim was valid and based on intelligence gathered by the army.
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