President Rodrigo Duterte has appointed Lt. Gen. Antonio Parlade Jr., the controversial former spokesman of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), to the National Security Council (NSC).
Parlade will assume the position of deputy director-general.
In a statement, Palace spokesman Harry Roque said Duterte made the appointment on Sept. 8.
“Deputy Director-General Parlade faithfully served the Armed Forces of the Philippines for many years until his retirement from the service. We are therefore confident that his length of fruitful service in the military would immensely contribute in the crafting of plans and policies affecting national security,” Roque said.
Parlade reached the mandatory retirement age for military officers of 56 on July 26.
He had often drawn criticism for linking personalities and groups to communism, terrorism and rebellion.
He was earlier given a gag order for “red-tagging” Ana Patricia Non, the organizer of the Maginhawa community pantry, and others.
The NSC is the principal advisory body on the proper coordination and integration of plans and policies regarding national security. John Ezekiel J. Hirro