By Deighton Acuin

PHOTO: Philippine Senate

More senators have shown their support to a resolution seeking to censure National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) Spokesperson and Southern Luzon Commander Lieutenant General Antonio Parlade Jr. over “stupid” remark against the lawmakers.

The resolution, which has yet to be filed, was initiated with Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon together with Senators Francis Pangilinan, Nancy Binay, Ralph Recto, Grace Poe, Joel Villanueva, and Senate President Vicente Sotto III as the signatories.

It came after National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperson ordered Parlade to avoid issuing attacks against senators and to those who organize community pantries.

“It’s not a matter of appeasing the Senate, it’s a matter of upholding the dignity of the Senate,”  Drilon pointed out in an interview with reporters.

“I will proceed with the filing of this resolution because this is not something that we can’t let go of once these gag orders are issued.”

Furthermore, the minority leader said it is “very disrespectful, derogatory and demeaning” to call legislators as stupid.

Drilon expressed hopes the resolution would give a “very strong message” to the actions that are “inconsistent with the principle of civilian supremacy in our system of government.”

Meanwhile, Sotto said Parlade must be “censured” if the task force will not recall him.

“The sense of my colleagues is that the personalities involved were attacking the Senate,” Sotto said in another message to reporters.


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