Groups slam Parlade’s red-tagging of Mindanaoan lawyer, warn of danger to legal profession

DAVAO CITY (January 5) — Human rights groups and lawyers’ organizations in Mindanao condemned a social media post by former military general Antonio Parlade Jr., calling it a renewed act of red-tagging that endangers lawyers and undermines the justice system.

The Karapatan-Southern Mindanao Region (Karapatan-SMR) said Parlade’s post targeting human rights lawyer Tony La Viña puts the legal profession at risk by vilifying lawyers who represent marginalized communities and defend civil liberties.

Karapatan-SMR deputy secretary-general Grecian Asoy said Parlade’s accusations resurface despite an August 2023 Ombudsman ruling that reprimanded the former general for similar conduct.

“To vilify a lawyer for representing marginalized sectors and advocating civil liberties is an assault not only on his person but on the entire legal profession and on the people’s right to counsel,” Asoy said in a January 2 statement.

Parlade’s Facebook post, titled “Who is Atty. Tony La Viña and why he loves the CPP so much,” alleged that La Viña defends activists because he is sympathetic to the Communist Party of the Philippines—a claim rights groups say is baseless and dangerous.

Parlade previously served as commander of the Southern Luzon Command and as spokesperson of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) in 2021.

Karapatan-SMR stressed that La Viña is a respected legal practitioner and educator who upholds the Constitution and the ethical duty of lawyers to defend human rights. The group warned that branding rights defenders as “enemies of the state” exposes them to threats against life, liberty, and security.

Asoy cited the Supreme Court ruling in Deduro v. Vinoya, which recognizes red-tagging as a threat to life, liberty, and security, saying Parlade’s statements undermine the high court’s pronouncement.

The Union of Peoples’ Lawyers in Mindanao (UPLM) echoed the condemnation, calling the attack on La Viña “a direct assault on the right to counsel and the independence of the legal profession.”

“This not only intimidates lawyers but undermines the entire justice system, deterring legal professionals from taking on cases involving activists, dissenters, and the marginalized,” UPLM said.

Both groups renewed calls to end red-tagging and to hold Parlade and others accountable for statements that place advocates and legal workers in harm’s way.