More than half of the 24-member Senate have signed the draft resolution seeking to censure Lt. Gen. Antonio Parlade, Jr., the controversial spokesperson of the government's anti-insurgency task force, for supposedly insulting the senators.

The resolution was initiated by Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon, who earlier slammed Parlade for calling senators "stupid" for pushing to realign the National Task Force to End the Local Communist Armed Conflict's (NTF-ELCAC) funds to the more urgent COVID-19 pandemic response of the government.

Senate President Vicente Sotto III also signed the measure.

"My colleagues are of the impression that he is attacking the Senate. As SP (Senate President) it's only natural that i support them," Sotto confirmed to the Manila Bulletin Monday, April 26.

Aside from Sotto and Drilon, those who signed the resolution were: Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto, and Sens. Panfilo Lacson, Risa Hontiveros, Nancy Binay, Grace Poe, Sherwin Gatchalian, Leila De Lima, Richard Gordon, Joel Villanueva, and Francis Pangilinan.

Senators Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel and Pia Cayetano affixed their signatures to join their colleagues in condemning Parlade.

The draft resolution mentioned Parlade's "disrespectful, derogotary, and demeaning statements against members of the Senate following their criticism of his persistent and unjustified red-tagging of civilians."

"Progressive thinking is not communism and by no stretch of the imagination can mere expression of opinion or criticisms, much less purposeful activism through involvement in humanitarian community efforts, constitute rebellion, sedition or terrorism," the senators said.

"Instead of engaging in a productive debate, Lt. Gen. Parlade's arrogance in his remarks against the senators showed his lack of respect for duly-elected representatives of the people and the Senate as an institution," they added.

Parlade earned the ire of senators for 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.

"I'll tell you, sila ang stupid kung ito ay binabawi nila. Pinirmahan nila ‘yong batas na ‘yan para maging serbisyo, ipagpatuloy ang programa ng gobyerno. Ngayon sasabihin nila na ide-defund nila ‘yung NTF-ELCAC (They are stupid if they will take away our fund. They signed the national budget to sustain the government's programs. Now, they are saying they will defund the NTF-ELCAC)," he said in a CNN Philippines interview last Thursday, April 22.

Last March, the Senate adopted the committee report calling for the removal of Parlade as NTF-ELCAC spokesman, citing the constitutional prohibition that active military members cannot hold civilian government posts.

Senators had warned to deny the NTF-ELCAC its 2022 budget should they insist on keeping Parlade as their spokesperson.