"General Galvez contradicted what the Palace had said about the supposed Red October plot."
"General Galvez contradicted what the Palace had said about the supposed Red October plot."
The first sign of a split between the Duterte administration and the Armed Forces of the Philippines surfaced in the Senate this week.
Asked by Liberal Party Senators Francis Pangilinan and Antonio Trillanes IV whether the opposition Liberal Party was involved in a coalition with the Communist Party of the Philippines and its armed wing New People’s Army, AFP chief Gen. Carlito Galvez categorically said: “No, sir.”
This was a direct contradiction what Palace officials who are purveying the “Red October” plot to overthrow President Rodrigo Duterte said.
The general also cleared Senators Trillanes and Pangilinan of any complicity in the alleged Red October plot.
We commend Galvez for telling it like it is. With his statement, he gave relief to the people who have enough problems for them to still deal with destabilization and a volatile political situation.
It is a given that the CPP of exiled communist leader Jose Maria Sison has on many occasions publicly stated it wants Duterte out. Malacañang, however, is the one giving Joma and the CPP credence. Even Sison’s host country The Netherlands sees no more relevance in him. It merely exercises tolerance in letting him stay in Utrecht. The liberal Dutch government perceives Sison as a relic of the past even as it continues to mediate the on-and-off peace talks between the CPP and the GRP.
The alleged Red October plot is a yarn being spread by Malacañang itself. Why? We don’t have the answer to this but there are speculations the Palace is spinning the conspiracy web to gain sympathy for the President and to distract the people from the rising prices of fuel, food, crime and unemployment.
So what is the real objective of the Red October ploy? Is there another layer of Machiavellian men behind the President that his own Cabinet does not know about? Or this so-called Red October plot borne out of the deep recesses of Digong’s own mind to declare martial law in the entire country?
The difference between Duterte and Marcos is that FM had the best and the brightest people in his Cabinet. They helped him plan and study the consequences of martial law. Foremost of these men was then-Justice and later Defense Secretary Juan Ponce Enrile. Say what you will about the man but Enrile helped Marcos lay the legal basis of a military rule including its consequences and how the populace will react to it.
Enrile could have been the President the country needed but then there is the belief that to be president is a destiny. As they say, if it’s not in the stars, then it’s not meant to be.
We suggest the government focus on addressing and solving the gut issues of food prices made higher by the uncontrolled cost of imported crude oil paid by the government in dollar terms. This is why the peso has sunk even lower vis-a-vis the US currency. Food prices can be brought down to affordable level if agricultural production is given the utmost attention.
The Philippines is an agricultural country. Vast expanses of land, particularly in Mindanao where President Duterte is from, is not being fully planted for rice and other crops. Hence, the country imports, rice, onions, garlic and even fruits.
We cannot understand this import mentality. Non-farming areas can also be used for raising cattle and other livestock. Yet, this not being done. We cannot blame the Duterte administration entirely for this. Past administrations have also been remiss in this department.
China, which has taken over our fishing waters in the West Philippine Sea, has offered to lease our agricultural land to help our farmers. We have allowed them to take over our territorial waters—are we now also going to let the Chinese also exploit our farmlands? If we do, we might as well accept the idea that indeed we have become a province of China. This is the real Red China threat not just in October but a subservience that could lead to years of colonization like in the Spanish and American eras.
Good news, bad news
First the good news. Presidential Communications Operations Office Assistant Secretary Margaux Uson has resigned from her post after a series of gaffes. The PCOO said Mocha was not forced to resign but did so as she is eying a senatorial seat in next year’s mid-term elections. That is the bad news.
With her millions of Facebook followers, she could well win a seat in the Senate. She could continue to torment us under the mantle of parliamentary immunity.
Presidential Spokesman Roque meanwhile said six of the Presdent’s Cabinet are also running for the Senate. While he did not include himself among the six Cabinet officials, it is no secret that after the House, next on Harry Roque’s agenda is a Senate seat. But that might be a tough hurdle. Presidential spokesmen except Marcos ‘s press secretary and information minister Kit Tatad who was elected senator and even went on to become Senate Majority Leader, no presidential spokesman was elected senator. Will Roque break the jinx to win a Senate seat?
Roque is not even sure he will get President Dutert’s approval to leave the Cabinet. Because he is doing such a good job as presidential spokesman, he has become a victim of his own success. As it is, it looks like Roque is going to be with Digong for the long run. Unless the President resigns from the presidency like he has threatened to. Perhaps that is why six of the President Cabinet are quitting to seek a Senate seat.
To abandon ship while the jumping is good must be in the minds of those quitting the Cabinet.