CPP/Ang Bayan: Parlade, the fascist troll

Propaganda article from the English language edition of Ang Bayan posted to the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) Website (Nov 7, 2020): Parlade, the fascist troll

Before gaining notoriety as Angel Locsin’s obsessive red-tagger, Antonio Parlade was known as the anti-peace Army spokesperson dismissed in 2011. He went against official policy when he called for the suspension of the government’s ceasefire with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). He also openly objected to the court-ordered release of health workers known as the Morong 43.

After being kicked from his job, he was assigned to a “support unit” in the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) General Headquarters. He was sent to the US for further military studies. He served as commander of the 203rd IBde in Mindoro in 2018. Before the year was out, he was promoted to AFP assistant deputy chief-of-staff for operations or J3.

He became deputy chief to the AFP’s Civil-Military Operations or J7 in 2019. As one of the most fanatic of the fascists, he became part of the group which travelled around Europe to slander groups such as the Rural Missionaries of the Philippines and Ibon Foundation and maliciously link them to the Europeansroundly rebuffe their lies.

Parlade is tireless in lying about the CPP and the NPA devouring its own children to detract attention from state killings of prominent activists such as Randy Malayao and Randy Echanis. He has no qualms of justifying killings of human rights defenders such as Zara Alvarez claiming that they are “NPA members anyway.”

True to being a troll, Parlade relentlessly spew slander, mockery and baseless accusations which are repeated in social media and generate fake posts, videos and quotes. HIs antics are applauded in AFP and Philippine National Police (PNP) official and sponsored accounts, as well as in state-funded troll farms.

In showing that no trick is too ridiculous or too vile, Parlade became a “key person,” eventually graduating to “spokesperson,” of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict. On January 17, he replaced Gilbert Gapay as commander of the AFP’s Southern Luzon Command (SOLCOM) which has operational jurisdiction over Bicol and Calabarzon. Gapay went on to become Philippine Army chief in December 2019, then AFP chief of staff in August 3. Parlade is sucking up to the most fascist military officials in the hopes of following Gapay’s footsteps.

Unlike other Duterte trolls, Parlade has two infantry divisions, a fleet of naval forces and an Air Force Tactical Operations Wing to carry out state terrorism at his disposal. Under his command, military units under the SOLCOM go beyond red-tagging of activists, human rights defenders, media personalities, peasants and even members of the judiciary. Army units, assisted by police personnel, perpetrate human rights violations and crimes against the people with impunity.

Based on Ang Bayan’s monitor, there are at least 190 victims of human rights abuses in Bicol and 1,357 in Calabarzon from January to October 31. Most of these cases were perpetuated by SOLCOM units. These incidents range from extrajudicial killings (25 victims), unjust arrests and detentions (147), coercion (16), destruction of property (5), food and economic blockade (1200), illegal search and seizure (41), physical assault (13) to threat, harassment and intimidation (91), among others. Majority of the victims are farmworkers and peasants in the countryside, and workers in enclaves accused by the military as NPA members.

This include the unjust arrest of four regional leaders of progressive organizations in Bicol.

Last October 20, Camarines Sur Regional Trial Court Branch 56 Judge Jeaneth Gaminde San Joaquin narrowly escaped death when she, along with her aide, were shot at by motorcycle-riding gunmen. San Joaquin, who signed the warrant of arrest of Jenelyn Caballero, also ordered her release a few days later after determining that the case was weak. She did so at the risk of earning the ire of Parlade who brandishes his antagonism against judges who allow activists to exercise their legal rights.

In April, SOLCOM and PNP units presented 16 “NPA surrenderees” who turned out to be workers of the Coca Cola plant in Laguna who were red-tagged, threatened and brought to a military camp.

In Quezon, military agents attempted murder of Karapatan Quezon Secretary-General Genelyn Dichoso on June 1. In Laguna, two peasants were murdered by SOLCOM forces in Oriental Mindoro on January. In Masbate and Albay Norte, SOLCOM soldiers killed four barangay officials and a rice trader last September.

Ang Bayan also collated reports of 331 counterinsurgency operations initiated by units under Parlade’s command from January to October. These operations covered 163 barangays in 46 towns across the Bicol region and 128 barangays in 31 towns across Southern Tagalog.

These operations include the strafing incident involving 49th IB soldiers who indiscriminately fired their weapons near a school in Barangay Oma-oma in Ligao City on September 25, resulting in the forcible evacuation of teachers who were preparing for the opening of classes.

Parlade deliberately violated GRP President Duterte’s declaration of Covid-19 ceasefire from March 19 to April 30. Combat and psychological operations were highest in Southern Tagalog (138 operations) and Bicol (94) during the said period. These operations include SOLCOM’s successive raids against NPA units in Barangay Puray, Rodriguez, Rizal, and in Mulanay and Gumaca Quezon from March 28 to April 1.

[Ang Bayan is the official news organ of the Communist Party of the Philippines and is issued by the CPP Central Committee. It provides news about the work of the Party as well as its analysis of and views on current issues. Ang Bayan comes out fortnightly and is published in Pilipino, Bisaya, Ilokano, Waray, Hiligaynon and English.]

https://cpp.ph/2020/11/07/parlade-the-fascist-troll/