Senator Risa Hontiveros on Monday said Lt. Gen. Antonio Parlade, Jr.’s actions against women celebrities whom he linked to members of leftist groups was simply “ungentlemanly.”
“Red-tagging of Liza Soberano, Catriona Gray, Angel Locsin, and a host of organizations, without evidence, is simply ungentlemanly,” Hontiveros said in an interview on CNN Philippines.
The National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) spokesperson earlier earned flak for warning the said female celebrities when he urged them to disassociate themselves with women’s group Gabriela.
Parlade initially addressed Soberano whom he warned might end up like activist Josephine "Jo" Lapira, who was killed in a clash between the New People's Army (NPA) and government troops in November 2017.
He eventually mentioned Miss Universe 2018’s Gray in his comment together with Locsin, niece of former partylist Rep. Neri Colmenares who is a known human rights lawyer and activist.
Hontiveros pointed out that even Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana disapproved of Parlade’s remarks against the women.
“Kahit si Sec. Lorenzana ng DND ay binigyang importansiya itong usapin ng ebidensiya kapag naghaharap ng ganyang mga kabigat na alegasyon (Even Secretary Lorenzana stressed the importance of evidence when one is raising such kind of allegations),” she pointed out.
“The general said that I probably didn’t read his full statement in its proper context. I just want to be categorical… Of course, I read his statement, several times over. At wala akong nakitang bahagi doon na katanggap-tanggap (And I don’t see anything in his statements that is acceptable),” she stressed.
“Simpleng hindi dapat tinatakot tayong mga kakabaihan kapag naninindigan para sa ating karapatan at nananawagan sa mga kapwa kababaihan na ipagtanggol din ang ating karapatan (We women should not be simply intimidated when we stand for our rights and I call on our fellow women to fight for our rights),” the lawmaker reiterated.
In fact, the senator said, all persons, including generals “should respect women’s human rights and stand with us when we are upholding our rights.”
Parlade, she said, should prepare himself for the questions that would be asked of him at the Commission on Appointments (CA).
“Paghandaan nilang humarap ulit sa CA kung sinabi nilang hindi na sila interesado ma-promote sa mas mataas, hindi na siya interesadong humarap sa CA, well, tignan natin (They should prepare to face the CA, if they said they are no longer interested to be promoted to a higher position. We’ll see),” Hontiveros stressed.