By Priam Nepomuceno/Philippine News Agency
MANILA — The Department of National Defense (DND) on Wednesday shrugged off militant group Karapatan’s claims that President Rodrigo Duterte is planning to appoint more former military men in government.
Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said the claim is “unfounded”, even as the President pronounced earlier that he prefers military men in public service.
“Unfounded allegations. If we, former military men, can do the job faster and better as the President says, what’s wrong with that? We are also Filipinos who are willing and eager to serve, are we also deserving that?” said Lorenzana in a message to reporters.
Karapatan, one of the groups allegedly acting as legal fronts of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA), claimed this situation is tantamount to enabling a de facto martial law situation in the country.
Karapatan secretary general Cristina Palabay earlier said this move by the Duterte administration is promoting a military mindset.
Armed Forces of the Philippines spokesperson, Marine Brig. Gen. Edgard Arevalo, earlier said the front organizations of the NPA cheated foreign funding agencies like non-government organizations (NGOs) from the European Union and Belgium, by falsely representing themselves as defenders and rights advocates of marginalized groups and by presenting a dark image and abominable state of affairs in the Philippines.
Last week, Malacañang slammed the rights group’s recent remarks that the government committed summary execution during the incident in Negros Oriental.
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