Lieutenant General Antonio Parlade Jr. could drag the government's anti-insurgency task force into trouble if he still refuses to keep a guard on his tongue.
Senator Panfilo Lacson raised the possibility on Saturday, April 24, disclosing that because of Parlade's "loose lips", senators are already considering to deny the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) its budget for next year.
"Because of his commentaries, the NTF-ELCAC is dragged into controversies. Nauuna ang bibig niya sa kanyang ginagawa (His talks before he acts).' Yan ang danger, kasi nakakagulo na (That is the danger, he is already causing chaos). Instead of helping, his loose lips threaten to drag the NTF-ELCAC into the mess," Lacson said in an interview over DWIZ radio.
"Sobrang madada. Hindi na enthusiasm 'yan (He talks too much. It's not anymore enthusiam)," he added.
The chairman of the Senate National Defense and Security Committee, who also defends the defense sector's annual budget, said the Senate wants to "send a strong message" to the defense establishment by denying the NTF-ELCAC a budget for 2022 if Parlade is retained as spokesperson.
"There is a consensus among senators in the minority and majority, to send a message to the defense establishment that cooperation is a two-way street. They cannot just keep asking without giving back," he said.
"Why do they tolerate him? Will they sacrifice the entire establishment just because of one of its officers' loose lips?" he added.
The Senate previously adopted the defense committee's report recommending Parlade's removal as NTF-ELCAC spokesperson, citing the constitutional prohibition that active members of the military cannot hold a civilian government post. The defense department, however, brushed aside the Senate's call.
Parlade is currently the commander of the Armed Forces of the Philippines' (AFP) Southern Luzon Command.
While he believes the NTF-ELCAC is "doing well" in developing areas cleared of the communist rebels, Lacson said Parlade's political statements threaten such gains.
"The AFP must remain apolitical. Otherwise, the constitutional balance among institutions is skewed and democratic governance is disturbed and even threatened. Lt. Gen. Parlade should just focus on ending insurgency and fighting terrorism. When he retires, he can debate all he wants on political issues," he said.
Lacson said it would be best if Parlade would resign as NTF-ELCAC spokesperson as it is "not his mandate as a military man to dabble in politics."
"If there is any consolation to the senators of this benighted land, arrogance and idiocy will never be doctrinal among the active members of the noble profession of arms," he also said on Twitter Saturday.
Parlade earned the ire of senators after red-tagging community pantry volunteers, particularly Ana Patricia Non, who started the donation-driven movement amid the lack of government assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic.
He also called senators "stupid", for pushing to defund the NTF-ELCAC when they initially voted to give the body a P19-billion budget for this year.