AFP: Reds set to launch another oust-Duterte move

From Malaya Business Insight (Sep 24): AFP: Reds set to launch another oust-Duterte move

A MILITARY official yesterday said the political opposition and the Church recently cut ties with a communist coalition which is allegedly aiming to oust President Duterte.

Brig. Gen. Antonio Parlade, assistant AFP deputy chief of staff operations, also said the military is expecting the communists to launch another move, in the form of rallies, as part of their grand scheme to oust Duterte next month.

“They were not successful last September but there will still be a plan this coming October, they are calling it `Red October,’ which is the international celebration of communism, Marxism,” said Parlade.

Opposition Rep. Gary Alejano (PL, Magdalo) dismissed Parlade’s statement, saying the general is echoing a lie being peddled by President Duterte.

“There is no need to cut ties with communists because the political opposition has no ties with them in the first place,” he said in a statement.

Parlade said the breakup between the political opposition and the communists occurred last Thursday, a day before the group calling itself Movement Against Tyranny (MAT) staged protest rallies in commemoration of the declaration of martial law 46 years ago.

“We have documents that they have an alliance with the Movement Against Tyranny whose objective is to oust Duterte. It was aligned with the camp of Vice President (Leni) Robredo, Sen. (Antonio) Trillanes and the Magdalo Group,” said Parlade.

Asked who the leader of the MAT is, he said it is Jose Maria Sison, founder of the Communist Party of the Philippines and chief political consultant of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP); Satur Ocampo, former Bayan Muna representative; and Rey Casambre, a consultant of the NDFP.

Parlade said the political position’s involvement with the MAT was through the group Tindig Pilipinas.

Tindig Pilipinas, in its Facebook page, said it is composed of Filipinos who are “alarmed, indignant, and outraged by the path our nation has been led to, a path filled with violence, contempt for law and hate.”

Parlade said there were bishops who had been aligned with the MAT, including Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Tagle and Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas.

He said the initial arrangement was capitalize on issues like extra-judicial killings and declaration of martial law.

“Tindig Pilipinas thought it’s just the usual opposition but it turned out that the communists are the ones... (leading it). Even Bishop Tagle left when he learned about this,” Parlade said.

“It’s okay if it’s just a rally but to sabotage the economy, sabotage the country and oust (Duterte), these were the issues they couldn’t accept... The good thing is Tindig Pilipinas left the alliance (MAT),” said Parlade.

Parlade said the political opposition chose not to join the rally organized by the MAT in Luneta, Manila last Friday. “Tindig Pilipinas just held an indoor activity (to protest martial law),” he said.

Alejano, a member of Tindig Pilipinas, said the venue of rallies and other protest actions is the prerogative of their group.

“We’re very much aware of the situation and so we had a venue away from that of the Left. We attended a Holy Mass as the De La Salle University,” he said over the phone.

Alejano reminded the administration that “dissent, as part of freedom of expression, is guaranteed in our Constitution regardless of ideology and political affiliation.”

“When one expresses dissent, it does not automatically make him a communist. Republic Act 1700 has been repealed precisely to allow our disgruntled citizens to express and act on their grievances legally away from the armed struggle. We expect the defense establishment to widen their analysis regarding this matter,” Alejano said.

President Duterte earlier this month said the political opposition is conniving with the communists to oust him.

MAT, which was launched in August last year, said in its Facebook account that it is “an alliance of groups and individuals that aims to unite all freedom loving Filipinos against tyranny and for human rights.” In its launching, the group approved the manifesto, “Stop the Killings, Stand Against Tyranny,” which accuses Duterte of using the PNP and alleged death squads for his war against the illegal drugs trade.

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