NPA not yet strong enough to overthrow system, party admits
MANILA, Philippines —The Communist Party of the Philippines has denied the so-called "Red October" conspiracy to oust President Rodrigo Duterte, calling it a government fiction.
The Armed Forces of the Philippines earlier warned of an ouster plan in October, which it called the month of international celebrations for communism, Marxism and indigenous peoples.
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"The CPP denounces the Armed Forces of the Philippines for conjuring this fictional plot which clearly aims to set the stage for applying increasingly draconian measures against the Filipino people," the CPP said in a statement.
The communist group dismissed the supposed ouster plot as a mere "invention" of the military.
The group noted that the military came up with "intelligence information" as early as July while Duterte himself claimed that there were recorded conversation between the CPP and other groups.
The president nor the AFP, however, could not present proof their claims, the CPP said.
'Excuse to crack down on legitimate protests'
"Actually, the real question is not whether there is such a conspiracy, but what Duterte and the AFP are plotting for October? Is this a foreshadowing of a declaration of martial law by October?" the statement read.
The CPP likened the Red October plot to the "Maoist rebellion" claims of ousted dictator Ferdinand Marcos to justify his declaration of martial law in 1972.
"In hyping up this so-called conspiracy, the clear aim of the AFP is to justify the implementation of increasingly severe measures in the name of 'defeating the plot' to target legitimate protest actions which express the sentiments of a disgruntled people," the CPP said.
CPP founding chair and National Democratic Front chief political consultant Jose Maria Sison also clarified in a separate statement that there is no conspiracy between communist rebels and the Liberal Part, despite the claims of Duterte and the military.
"Duterte and his military minions and propagandists are now frenziedly carrying out a psy-war campaign to glorify the Marcos fascist dictatorship and to fabricate conspiracies to justify the eventual declaration of martial law nationwide and further realize Duterte´s scheme of fascist dictatorship," Sison said.
Sison, whom Duterte has been ranting against in recent speeches, is no longer a rebel leader. The CPP announced in March 2017 that it had held elections for a new set of eladers for its central committee. It said it would continue to seek his counsel and guidance.
'Insecure Duterte, AFP'
The claims of Duterte and the AFP show that they are "increasingly insecure" while the country is facing economic crisis, the CPP said.
The communists called out the president for "turning a deaf ear" to the demands of the Filipino people such as putting an end to TRAIN taxes, finding a solution to price increases, wage increases, job security, among others.
Sending Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana to the United States show that the president "has gone the lengths of seeking the assurance of US support.
"All these show Duterte’s kapit-tuko desperation to cling to power amid the increasingly acute crisis and mounting clamor for his ouster," the CPP said.
'NPA not yet strong enough'
The New People's Army, the armed wing of the CPP, will continue to wage its revolutionary armed struggle in the countryside, the group said.
The CPP said it is expecting protests against the Duterte administraton to continue in the coming months given the country's economic conditions.
"However supportive of the people’s clamor for Duterte’s ouster, the NPA, at this stage, is not yet strong enough to cause the overthrow of Duterte and the ruling system," the CPP said.
It added that although the NPA was among the stongest forces against the Marcos dictatorship, it said it was the confluence of various forces that made the 1986 EDSA People Power Revolution a success.