Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Eduardo Año has rejected and denounced the call of a retired Army general for a revolutionary government.
"Such remarks are reckless and careless, especially at this time when the country will soon hold elections for a new set of leaders," said Año, referring to the action of the group of retired Maj. Gen. Antonio Parlade Jr. who went to People Power Monument on Tuesday, March 15, to call for a revolutionary government.
Año said that while Parlade has the right to free speech, the retired military general should be more responsible and circumspect in airing his personal remarks, and to seek the proper legal mechanisms to address his concerns, especially that he is a former soldier.
"The DILG and all our attached agencies, including the Philippine National Police (PNP), the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), and the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP), remain committed and loyal to the Constitution, the chain of command, and will carry out our mandate to ensure peaceful and orderly communities during the election period. As deputies of the Comelec, we shall, above all, safeguard the sanctity of the ballot,’’ Año said.
Año also exhorted all local government units (LGUs) to dismiss Parlade's statement and stay the course of delivering public service that addresses the needs of your jurisdiction even in the middle of a highly political climate.
Together with the Department of National Defense (DND), Año pointed out that the DILG shall focus on the “most pressing issues of our country’’ with the guarantee of the peaceful transition of power and authority to the new set of leaders.
The newly elected leaders will assume office on June 30, 2022.
On March 15, Parlade went to the streets to protest the alleged corruption in the Commission on Elections (Comelec) prompting him to call for the creation of a “revolutionary government” which he claimed could solve corruption in government.
The Quezon City Police District (QCPD) said Parlade and about 100 individuals organized a dialogue in the People Power Monument where banners that read “We support (President) Duterte” and “RevGov na” were brandished.
Parlade, who was a former spokesperson on the anticommunist task force decried the alleged corruption in the Comelec.
It can be recalled that Parlade ran for President but was later disqualified due to a technicality. (Chito A. Chavez)