MANILA, Philippines — Worldwide watchdog Human Rights Watch has known as on the army to conduct a radical and neutral probe into Lt. Gen. Antonio Parlade Jr. who’s lastly put beneath investigation over his red-tagging, the newest targetting Inquirer.web reporter Tetch Torres-Tupas.
However the Nationwide Union of Journalist of the Philippines had flagged and was aghast with newly-installed Armed Forces of the Philippines chief Cirlito Sobejana’s assertion that Torres-Tupas bears the “burden of denial” and that her reporting on submitting of the 2 Aetas of a petition — the place they claimed torture — equates “sympathy.”
Lt. Gen. Sobejana mentioned earlier this week that he directed the chief of provost marshal to coordinate with the Nationwide Process Drive to Finish Native Communist Armed Battle, the place Parlade serves as spokesperson. When requested if Torres-Tupas can also be beneath probe, Sobejana was quoted in studies as saying: “Hindi rin natin ma-discount or ma-drop ‘yung chance na—kasi sinulat nga, e. Kung, in case you write one thing, meron ka ring… it’s a dictate of your feelings, or your sympathy or no matter.”
HRW Deputy Director for Asia Division Phil Robertson, in an announcement, raised whether or not the probe into Parlade is a one-off motion or whether or not “strain towards the army’s use of red-baiting techniques could lastly be having an impression.”
Robertson famous that this isn’t the primary time Parlade, who, aside from being a high-ranking army official can also be the spokesperson of the nationwide authorities’s anti-communist activity pressure, courted controversy over his accusations linking activists and celebrities, and now journalists to communist rebels.
In one in every of his Fb posts, Parlade falsely accused Torres-Tupas of sourcing her story on “propaganda machines of the CPP” with an connected picture of the HRW and various information outfit Kodao.
“’Pink-tagging’ constricts additional the more and more diminished democratic area within the Philippines, the place activists, rights attorneys, journalists, and even bizarre Filipinos on social media are beneath risk. The army’s investigation into Parlade ought to be each thorough and neutral, and this ought to be the beginning of bigger efforts to carry to account all authorities officers who give a wink and a nod to extrajudicial killings by their red-tagging,” Robertson added.
After hinting at suing Torres-Tupas for an anti-terrorism legislation violation for “spreading lies,” Parlade has since clarified that he won’t be submitting a criticism towards her. He has mentioned he may “in all probability apologize” that his Fb rant mirrored on the NTF-ELCAC as his put up was private.
READ: Parlade sticks to guns on comment vs reporter
NUJP reminds Sobejana: Accuser bears burden of proof
The NUJP, in the meantime, reminded Sobejana that not solely is “burden of denial” a authorized fiction, but in addition constitutes victim-blaming. “No, Sir, the burden of proof is ALWAYS on the accuser,” the group mentioned.
In addition they identified that Parlade didn’t solely bear false witness to Torres-Tupas, “as he has achieved with so many others, he even offered false proof towards her whereas, on the identical time, red-tagging what he wrongly claimed had been the sources for the article he discovered offense with — worldwide watchdog HRW and various media outfit Kodao Productions.”
The Justice and Court docket Reporters Affiliation, the place Torres-Tupas is a member of, mentioned that report which angered Parlade was based mostly on a petition filed earlier than the SC. Different journalists had additionally filed tales based mostly on the identical pleading, which is a authorized doc.
READ: Journalists demand Parlade apology for threat to reporter over story he disputes
The NUJP mentioned they noticed Sobejana’s appointment as AFP chief as a reason behind optimism as a consequence of his repute as a “straight shooter, a soldier’s soldier,” as was seen in his order to probe Parlade.
The group pressed: “Certainly, Parlade’s conduct constitutes conduct unbecoming and deserves an ‘Alright, Sir?’ problem.”
The NUJP added {that a} democratic society will not be a army group which expects everybody to comply with an order with out a query.
“Freedom of expression and of thought, together with criticism and dissent, could seem messy however they’re parts with out which democracy can’t exist. And it was our democracy that you simply and the women and men of our armed providers vowed to defend, was it now?”
“Please, Sir, Gen. Sobejana, don’t show us fallacious,” the NUJP additionally mentioned.
