Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana cautioned the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF ELCAC) spokesman Lt. Gen. Antonio Parlade's from red-tagging following his controversial remarks on actress Liza Soberano.

"Me and General Parlade had a talk about the red-tagging accusations by the front organizations. Gen Parlade said that what he meant was to warn and caution these celebrities in joining or advocating fronts of the CPP/NPA/NDF (Communist Party of the Philippines/New People's Army/National Democratic Front), which Gabriela is one. Just to be clear, we were not the ones who red-tagged them," Lorenzana said in a statement issued on Sunday.

"It was Jose Maria Sison himself who identified them as fronts of the CPP/NPA/NDF. To accuse us (military and police) of red-tagging them in the face of Sison’s admission is the height of naïveté. I am sending you the video of Sison and a copy of EO 340 that declared the CPP/NPA/NDF as terrorist organizations," he said.

"I cautioned him from red-tagging anybody without evidence. Associating with Gabriela, per se, does not mean a person advocates and supports its ideology. Therefore it is our duty to forewarn them less they fall into a trap," Lorenzana added.

Lorenzana said he directed Parlade "to continue what he is doing with some caveats so as not to unnecessarily include or accuse innocent people who are well meaning and want to do good things for others."

"Lastly, thru their lawyer the family of Ms. Liza Soberano has expressed its thanks and appreciation to the AFP/PNP, for warning and defending Liza from these front organizations," he added. Robina Asido/DMS