THE military on Friday said that they are monitoring any possible actions by communist rebels and the opposition “yellow forces” who might be planning to overthrow President Rodrigo Duterte, and said attempts to destabilize the administration would not come from its ranks.
The Communist Party of the Philippines, meanwhile, denied conspiring with the political opposition to oust the President, but praised any initiatives against “Duterte’s tyranny.”
In a Palace briefing, Armed Forces spokesman Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla said they were monitoring armed groups that might move against the government.
“If the President is saying that there are people planning against him — we’re seeing other forces involved, not just the opposition,” Padilla said in Filipino.
Padilla said those plotting against the President were “the Reds and armed elements in Mindanao.”
“The objective of the NPA [New People’s Army] is actually to take hold of the whole Philippines,” he said.
As for the political opposition, Padilla said there may be “one or two of them” helping anti-government groups.
“So, this kind of a connection may be part of those [plots] that are being reported,” he added.
The military will not join any groups that want to destabilize the government, Padilla said.
“The Armed Forces, as you have seen in these past few years and recent months, has exhibited its very constitutionally based activities or actions,” he said.
Top administration officials earlier accused the “yellow” opposition, referring to the Liberal Party; the communists; and some members of the clergy of launching “black operations” against the President. They also cited the involvement of some businessmen, members of the media and bloggers.
Communist rebels denied forming an alliance with the Liberal Party to topple the Duterte administration.
“The CPP and other Left political forces may have no formal alliance with the Liberal Party and its affiliates but can recognize their initiatives and action as serving the same purpose of resisting Duterte’s tyranny,” the CPP said.
The communist rebels said that the President’s pronouncements may only inspire further attacks on the political opposition.
“It appears that such claims aim to set the stage to clampdown on the political opposition and all other forces standing up against moves to establishing Duterte’s authoritarian rule,” the CPP said.
They also scored Duterte for being intolerant of all opposition and dissent, saying he was intent on monopolizing political power.
“Duterte wants to clamp down and silence all who disagree with his policies and methods. He has threatened to impose martial law. His officials and loyalists have openly declared plans to use all means to have all those who dissent to be imprisoned,” the leftists said.
Earlier, the Liberal Party branded accusations of an ouster plot as another “diversionary tactic” to divert public attention from the President’s real problems.
LP President Senator Francis Pangilinan said it was a “fake ouster plot,” because even Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana had said he had not monitored it.