AFP official forewarns Liza Soberano on supporting Gabriela Youth

Lieutenant General Antonio Parlade Jr. warned Kapamilya actress Liza Soberano on Wednesday, October 21 against her participation in a women's rights online talk organized by Gabriela Youth.

Parlade, commander of the Southern Luzon Command of the Philippine Army, and current spokesperson of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) released a statement clearing Soberano from any communist influence.

“Let us not red-tag Liza Soberano. It's not fair to her. She is merely supporting advocacy for women's rights. She has to be protected in the exercise of her rights. Is she an NPA? No, of course not. Not yet. So let's help educate her and the other celebrity targets of Malayang Kilusan ng Bagong Kababaihan (MAKIBAKA), the Underground Mass Organization hiding under Gabriela Women's Party,” Parlade said.

In the same statement, he also said that Soberano still has the opportunity to cut her ties with the group.

“Liza Soberano, there's still a chance to abdicate that group. If you don't, you will suffer the same fate as Josephine Anne Lapira @ELLA, former Deputy Secretary-General of Gabriela Youth of UP Manila, and defender of women's rights, even against sexual predators amongst her comrades in the NPA unit she joined which is clearly stated in her handwritten letter addressed to a certain @EMIL," he added.

Aside from the actress, he similarly warned Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray about her ties with the organization.

In response, Gabriela party-list Representative Arlene Brosas asserts that Parlade clearly red-tagged Soberano and other female celebrities in his statement.

"Lieutenant General Antonio Parlade’s appeal to stop red-tagging Liza Soberano is starkly ironic because he actually red-tagged Soberano in his same statement. By saying that Soberano is 'not yet an NPA,' he is maliciously associating the actress with the armed movement when what she did in the youth forum was to only speak up for all the victims of gender-based violence and abuse," Brosas stated.

As of this moment, Liza Soberano has not yet released any statement regarding the issue.

Words by Louie Jay Vildosola

Layout by Kiziah Magbanua