What Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Lt. Gen. Antonio Parlade posted on social media are his personal views and not the government’s stance against those opposed to the Anti-Terrorism Law.
This is what the Solicitor General Jose Calida pointed before the Supreme Court (SC) in defense of Parlade who has posted on Facebook remarks against those who sought to declare as unconstitutional the Anti-Terrorism Law.
“According to the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF ELCAC), the subject Facebook post is not the official statement or action of the AFP nor of the NTF ELCAC,” read the comment of Calida dated March 19.
“Accordingly, the AFP and the NTF ELCAC have no policy against any dissenters of any law enacted and being implemented by the government. Both agencies, in fact, remain committed to upholding the rule of law, protecting the constitutional rights of every Filipino, and serving the best interest of the country,” he added.
Calida filed the comment in response to the motion of the group of petitioners led by retired SC Justices Antonio Carpio and Conchita Carpio Morales over the posts of Parlade whom they accused of threatening the petitioners for the filing of petitions seeking to declare as unconstitutional the Anti-Terrorism Law.
The group of Carpio and Morales cited that Parlade even posted the statements:
“The Day of Judgement is upon you and the Filipino people, who have suffered enough from the malignant hands of the CPP NPA NDF of which you are part of, sit in Judgement.”
“Very soon, blood debts will be settled. The long arm of the law will catch up to you, and your supporters.”
Calida said “the subject Facebook post was posted by Lt. Gen. Antonio Parlade in his personal capacity and not as an officer from the security sector of the government.”
“The AFP and NTF-ELCAC, clearly, have no personal knowledge on the circumstances and intent behind its alleged posting,” he added.
Calida also assured “the subject Facebook post neither interferes with this Honorable Court’s power to administer justice nor violates the rights of petitioners Carpio, et al., or of any other petitioner, under Section 4 of the Bill of Rights.”
“There can be no violation of the Bill of Rights when committed by a private individual.To stress, the subject Facebook post was posted by Lt. Gen. Antonio Parlade in his personal capacity,” Calida argued.
“By the same token, like any other Filipino citizen endowed with the constitutional right to free speech — which is the very right being advanced by petitioners Carpio, et al. — the subject Facebook post did not divest, expressly or impliedly, any judicial recourse from individuals who feel aggrieved by the enactment and implementation of the Anti Terrorism Act,” he added.
Source: Latest Politics News Today (Politics.com.ph)
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