Army Lt. Gen. Antonio Parlade, the spokesperson of a government anti-insurgency task force, told senators on Tuesday that his posts on actresses Liza Soberano and Angel Locsin should not be seen as "red-tagging."
Parlade said it was the netizens who linked the actresses to the left, which should not be the case. The Senate called Parlade to a hearing after his Facebook posts on Soberano, Locsin and Ex-Miss Universe Catriona Gray drew protests.
When there is no distinction between activists and terrorists, "we risk putting everyone under a clout of suspicion and our society in a constant state of insecurity," said Sen. Panfilo Lacson, a former national police chief.
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Parlade warned Soberano against her dealings with Gabriela after the actress spoke in a forum organized by the women's group. He referred to Soberano as "not yet" a member of the New People's Army. Gray and Locsin were also mentioned in the post.
Asked by Lacson if he red-tagged Soberano, Locsin and Gray, Parlade said: "No, your honor. I did not."
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"I want to inform netizens that it is unfair to red-tag Ms. Liza Soberano just because she was in that program," Parlade said.
Parlade's comments sparked a protest on social media that saw women take red lipstick selfies to protest red-tagging. The controversy also highlighted long-running tension between security forces and left-wing party-list groups, who deny the military's allegation that they support communist guerillas.
