MANILA, Philippines — As far as the Philippine National Police is concerned, a supposed ouster plot that the military calls ‘Red October’ is not a threat at the moment.
“We don’t see it as a threat as of this time but it can be a concern. For some, it can be a concern, but we do not treat it as a threat as far as the PNP is concerned. I don’t know with other agencies,” Director General Oscar Albayalde,PNP chief, said in a press briefing Monday.
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He, however, said that the alleged ‘Red October’ plot has basis.
“I think there’s a basis for the statement of the president. Remember the president has unlimited access to information, not just the PNP,” Albayalde said.
President Rodrigo Duterte, in a televised dialogue with his lawyer Salvador Panelo on September 11, claimed that a sympathetic foreign government had recorded conversations that would show a conspiracy between communist rebels, the pro-military Magdalo group and the Liberal Party against him.
Jose Ma. Sison, Communist Party of the Philippines founding chairman and political consultant of the National Democratic Front, denied the supposed conspiracy and dared Duterte to release the supposed recordings. The president has not done so.
The military has since floated a "Red October" plot supposedly led by communist rebels. "Red October" is an obvious reference to the 1917 Russian Revolution.
Albayalde: Police officers linked to raided Rizal farm not part of plot
The PNP chief, who maintained there is no recruitment among the cops to join the perceived plot to oust Duterte, denied police officers linked to a farm in Rizal are part of the "Red October" plot.
READ: Raps filed vs group eyed in destab plot
Albayalde said last week that the Rizal provincial police must explain the circumstances behind the raid on a supposed NPA "farm base" and verify businesswoman Lily Ong’s allegation that she has been giving police officers P8,000 a month for protection. The woman alleged there were people who tried to kidnap her.
The PNP chief said the involvement of police officers in the supposed ouster plot is unlikely and they were just moonlighting.
Defense officials on 'Red October'
Last week, the top brass of Armed Forces of the Philippines claimed that the opposition coalition is conspiring with the communist rebels to overthrow the chief executive.
“They’ll continue their plans until next month. They also have this October or Red October. That’s the celebration of international communism and also the indigenous people,” Brig. Gen. Antonio Parlade said in an interview on ANC.
The president himself has repeatedly floated that groups are conniving to oust him.
Opposition groups: Outlandish, inaccurate intelligence
Movement Against Tyranny called the claims “outlandish.”
“Now that their lie has fallen flat, they persist with fantastical claims of a ‘Red October,’” the coalition said.
Liberal Party president Francis Pangilinan called on Duterte to sack the individuals giving him intelligence reports on the alleged conspiracy to unseat him.
“Whoever is giving the president false and manufactured intelligence reports must be fired. They should be giving him accurate information that he needs to know rather than dubious information that they think he would like to hear,” he said.