‘Reds agitating clergy, opposition’

From Malaya Business Insight (Jul 5): ‘Reds agitating clergy, opposition’

THE communist movement is trying to agitate church officials and the opposition into ousting President Duterte from power, possibly in the same way they worked for the removal of the late strongman Ferdinand Marcos, Sr., a senior security official said yesterday.

The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said while there is no evidence yet to implicate church officials and the political opposition in the oust-Duterte plot, the communists are taking advantage of the “current political and social issues” to agitate the Church and opposition.

“So the oust plot is a plan by the CPP (Communist Party of the Philippines). The Church, as an institution, and the opposition are not aware nor part of the one that crafted the plan,” the source said.

“But the CPP will take advantage of the current political and social issues against the President, and agitate, through propaganda, the clergy and the opposition, in order to create a picture of a united front against PRRD (President Rodrigo Roa Duterte),” he said.

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana earlier said communists launched the Oust Duterte operation in May last year while there is an ongoing peace talks. He said the plot is to culminate this coming October.

The source implied that the communists may seek to establish “tactical alliance with the opposition and some members of the Church who have been wittingly and unwittingly recruited and supporting their ‘mass base’ people’s organization and ‘sectoral’ organizations.”

The source said the communists may emulate the efforts, leading to the successful ouster of President Marcos in February 1986.

“So they will do the same to some politicians from the opposition and some priests who were recruited before, mostly working at the church Social Action Center and indoctrinated on the concept of ‘liberation theology’,” the source added.

The official said the CPP/NPA/NDF’s involvement in plans to oust sitting presidents is nothing new, in keeping with their desire to put up a government based on “communist belief of governance.”

“It means they will not only topple the government but they will change the democratic system, take over the country and govern based on their communist belief of governance,” the source added.

He said the communist have been “very consistent” in coming up with plans to destabilize the government and weaken its institutions “so that the people will lose faith on government, and oust the sitting President if they can heighten their agitation of the people.

“So all administrations, presidents that held office were targeted by the Left for ‘oust’ plot -  from Cory, FVR, Erap, GMA, Pnoy, and now PRRD,” the source said, adding these plots are usually crafted during plenums.

He said the CPP’s plan to oust Duterte is documented in the form of a “strategic plan” and it’s obvious that the communists are just using the peace process to pursue their “political and propaganda agenda,  gain concession from government, consolidate their legal and armed elements.”

“But they are not really sincere in actually laying down their arms and pursuing peace. So the peace process is just a process for them, part of their ‘protracted warfare’ strategy, and taking advantage of changing administrations every six years and changing policy and approaches to insurgency,” he said.

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque Jr. said his statement that some Catholic Church members may join communist rebels in ousting Duterte is not fake news. But he refused to name names.

Roque, in an interview over radio DzRH, said his pronouncements were based on history.

“It is not fake news, that is history. The CPP-NPA is already old, it’s the world longest insurgency…let us learn from history, do not be blinded and do not pretend that we do not know how the CPP-NPA moves,” he said.

He said everyone knows that the CPP-NPA-NDFP would always try to get into different institutions and sectors in a bid to expand their influence.

President Duterte, during the 31st anniversary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), said some teachings of the Church run counter to government policies, including responsible family planning.

“The reason I do not like this creeping influence of faith is that they sometimes run counter to what government believes to be good for the people. At least in this temporal life, okay na iyan sa heaven,” Duterte said. – With Jocelyn Montemayor

He recalled that when he was mayor, he would have some birth control pills in his drawers that he gives away to some people who visit his office including those who ask for help.

The Church prefers natural family planning methods as a means to control population and the use of pills is an artificial method.

Duterte said his school did not have much influence on his faith because they were molested by a priest.

http://www.malaya.com.ph/business-news/news/%E2%80%98reds-agitating-clergy-opposition%E2%80%99