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A senior military official released a statement urging actress Liza Soberano and Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray to rethink their ties with the group advocating for women's rights - Gabriela Youth.
Lieutenant General Antonio Parlade Jr., the commander of the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ Southern Luzon Command and spokesperson of the government’s National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) released a statement in their facebook page saying Soberano "is not an NPA" because she is merely advocating for women's rights.
However, Parlade told Soberano to sever ties from Gabriela Youth.
“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 claimed.
Parlade added that if Soberano would not abdicate that group, she will suffer the same fate as Josephine Anne Lapira, the former Deputy Secretary General of Gabriela Youth of UP, Manila and defender of women's rights who was among those who were killed in an encounter between the military and suspected New People's Army in 2017.
Parlade also addressed the same warning to Catriona Gray.
"The choice is yours Liza. And so with you Catriona." he said.
Soberano guested at an event of the Gabriella Youth for the International Day of the Girl Child last Tuesday, October 13, 2020 where she talked about the importance of speaking up on issues involving women and children.
Gray has been vocal about her stance on national issues such as the controversial anti-terror law and the shutdown of media giant ABS-CBN in local airwaves.
Netizens were quick to criticize Parlade's warnings for seemingly sounding like a death threat.
#ProtectLizaSoberano and #ProtectCatrionaGray plagued the micro-blogging site twitter today.
Words by Jean Claire Peruda
Photos from Pinterest and @lizanians on Twitter
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