DAVAO CITY, Philippines – Progressive lawmakers under Makabayan bloc filed a House resolution on Tuesday to probe the military’s “Red October,” a destabilization plot aimed to oust President Rodrigo Duterte.
The House Resolution 2216 wants the Committee on Human Rights to conduct probe, in aid of legislation, on the alleged ouster plot.
Makabayan lawmakers said the alleged ouster plot is a prelude to a massive crackdown against opposition groups and individuals that would result in a massive violation of human rights.
“Such allegations by the military who are supposed to protect the people put the lives and safety of the individuals and leaders of the groups in grave danger,” the resolution reads.
“Such unvalidated and unverified claims of ‘destabilization plots’ will further worsen the culture of impunity and the already grave human rights situation in the country,” it added.
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) accused the Communist Party of the Philippines ( CPP) to be in connivance with the opposition groups, including Liberal Paryt (LP), the Magdalo group.
Groups tagged by the AFP, however, belied the existence of the so-called ouster plot against the President.
On Tuesday, during the Senate’s budget hearing of the Department of National Defense, AFP Chief of Staff Carlito Galvez Jr. cleared Magdalo Senator Antonio Trillanes of Magdalo and Senator Kiko Pangilinan, president of Liberal Party of involvement in the alleged ouster plot, contrary to military’s previous statements.
But Galvez maintained that there’s a “broad” coalition led by CPP that would carry out the ouster plot this month. He also links 10 universities in Manila, including a non-existence college, in the so-called “Red October”.
“The Red October plot, we started to ventilate on this considering that their plan really is to have a successive mass mobilization starting on September 21, then October, then November, until such time that they have their 50th anniversary this December,” the AFP chief said.
The “Red October” is meant to push President Duterte to declare nationwide martial law. But hours after Galvez made the statement, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque insisted that some members of LP, as well as Trillanes, are in collusion with CPP-NPA to oust Duterte.
“It could be true that there is no formal memorandum of agreement between the party itself and the CPP-NPA [but] it does not prevent leading personalities with the Liberal Party from having such collusion [with the communists],” he said.
Meanwhile, the Makabayan bloc earlier belied the alleged destabilization plot saying it is the “height of paranoia” of the Duterte administration.
Zarate said in a press briefing that the government was the one destabilizing itself.
“What is on the red now is our economy. At kasalanan ng Duterte administration yan at hindi yan kasalanan ng kritiko ng administrasyong ito,” Zarate said.(davaotoday.com)
