Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque was planning to talk to Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana about Lt. Gen. Antonio Parlade Jr.'s red-tagging of community pantries that sprouted in different parts of the country amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
(PNA FILE PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN)
Roque made the statement after Parlade, the spokesman for the infamous National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), compared Maginhawa Community Pantry organizer Ana Patricia Non to Satan.
In his press briefing on Thursday, Roque said he and Interior Secretary Eduardo Año may talk to Lorenzana about Parlade's actions.
"Siguro po kakausapin namin ni Secretary Año si (Perhaps Secretary Año and I will have to talk to) Secretary Delfin Lorenzana because that is the proper chain of command," he said.
"I think General Parlade reports to Secretary Lorenzana," he added.
Despite this, Roque reiterated Malacañang's support for community pantries.
"As far as the community pantry is concerned, malinaw po ang position ng Presidente diyan (President Duterte's stand is clear on that)... Let a thousand community pantries bloom," he said.
Meanwhile, Roque noted that this would not be the first time that they will talk about Parlade.
"Hindi naman po sikreto na may mga pagkakataon na na pinagsabihan na ni Secretary Lorenzana na mag-ingat-ingat nang kaunti si General Parlade sa kanyang mga deklarasyon (It's not a secret that there have been times when Secretary Lorenzana advised General Parlade to tone down his declarations)," he said.
Last year, President Duterte told law enforcers to stop red-tagging any individual without evidence and reminded them to just do their job quietly and according to the law, after Parlade warned both actress Liza Soberano and former Miss Universe Catriona Gray about involving themselves with progressive groups.