Acting presidential spokesperson and Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar (File photo) MANILA - The push of retired military officer and former National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) spokesperson Antonio Parlade Jr. for a revolutionary government is part of free speech, Malacanang said Tuesday. Acting presidential spokesperson and Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar made this remark after Parlade called for support against corruption in the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and other government agencies, saying a revolutionary government may be the only solution. "Retired General Antonio Parlade's call for a revolutionary government is part of his guaranteed freedom of speech and expression," Andanar said in a press statement. He also echoed Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana's statement directing members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to disregard Parlade's call for a revolutionary gove
AFP spokesperson, Col. Ramon Zagala (File photo) MANILA - The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said it has closed 15 out of the 20 bank accounts reported as unauthorized by the Commission on Audit (COA) but it expressed hope that it will be allowed to retain the remaining five, saying these are needed for essential purposes. In a statement late Sunday, AFP spokesperson, Col. Ramon Zagala identified the retained bank accounts and the reason for doing so. "(First is) Account Number 00-140-102888-6 of UCPB (United Coconut Planters Bank). This account is for payment of procurement under the AFP Modernization Program. There are several multi-year contracts being serviced by this account," he added. Zagala said closing this account now will jeopardize the payment schedule for these contracts. "We have requested the Permanent Committee to retain this account until the procurement it is supporting is completed," he added. Established in 1987, the Permanent Committee mo