NATIONAL Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr. said on Sunday that he had asked the two spokespersons of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-Elcac) to keep their mouth shut on the issue of community pantries if only to show that the body is not against their operations.
The “gag” order covered Armed Forces Southern Luzon Command commander Lt. Gen. Antonio Parlade Jr. and Presidential Communications Operations Office Undersecretary Lorraine Badoy who are both also serving as spokespersons of the NTF-Elcac.
“Yes I did if only to emphasize that NTF-ELCAC or Gen. Parlade or Usec Badoy are not against bayanihan or community pantries,” Esperon, who heads the body, said.
Parlade and Badoy are under heavy criticism for claiming that communist pantries which are promoting bayanihan by providing free food stuff to pandemic-affected poor and hungry Filipinos are communist fronts.
Because of the two’s penchant for red tagging as in the case of the communist pantries, some congressmen and senators have pushed for the defunding of NTF-Elcac’s P19-billion Barangay Development Assistance Program and instead allot it to the government’s pandemic response. They also called for an investigation of how the NTF-Elcac had spent its budget.
In response, Parlade called the senators “stupid” in one of his interviews with the media.
While Parlade and Badoy are endorsers of bayanihan, according to Esperon, both however are being restrained from talking about the communist pantries so that they will not be “misunderstood.”
“As commander of Solcom covering three regions, Lt. Gen. Parlade does a lot of bringing basic services to disadvantaged or calamity- stricken barangays and residents, therefore with no personal agenda but to help, and achieve his mandates and missions for AFP, and therefore for NTF-Elcac where AFP is a member.
“Usec Badoy , who is a medical doctor by profession, is also a bayanihan enthusiast,” Esperon said.
“Lest it be misunderstood, they will desist making statements on community pantries,” he said.
Esperon said that Parlade earlier offered to resign as NTF-Elcac’s spokesman, but has not formally tendered his resignation yet.
Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana declined to comment on the gag order, especially for Parlade whom some said was his “fair-haired” boy in the military.
“None!” Was his response to military reporters when sought for his comments.
Esperon said the NTF-Elcac would help the community pantries.
“NTF-ELCAC will support, observe and assist CPs (community pantries) as does the whole of government,” he said.
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