CPP tells Palace: Why would we ‘push’ for martial law?
THE COMMUNIST Party of the Philippines (CPP) has denied the military’s allegation that it is “pushing” President Rodrigo R. Duterte to declare nationwide martial law through the so-called “Red October” ouster plot.
“To now claim that the CPP will ‘create chaos,’ supposedly ‘like in Plaza Miranda’ to ‘force’ Duterte to fulfill his most ardent wish, is at best, lazy and clumsy. The claim simply defies logic. Why should the CPP ‘push’ for Martial Law nationwide when it has repeatedly condemned and called for the lifting of Martial Law in Mindanao?,” the CPP said in a statement on Tuesday, Oct. 2, as posted on its official Website, the Philippine Revolution Web Central.
“Again, there is no Red October plot orchestrated by the CPP. The more Duterte and the AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) are trying to prove this so-called plot, the more they sound incredulous,” the group said.
For his part, Presidential Spokesperson Harry L. Roque, Jr. said, “We stand by the statement of AFP that the CPP is pushing the President to place the country under martial law. By sowing chaos through its Red October ouster plot, the CPP hopes that a nationwide martial law declaration would spark people’s outrage. We will therefore not fall into this trap hatched by the enemies of the State.”
Mr. Roque also said that Mr. Duterte “sees no ground to declare martial law nationwide as the whole situation is under control.”
The CPP noted in its statement that “it is no secret” that it is “calling on the people to unite and struggle to overthrow the Duterte regime.”
“Statements issued by the CPP to this effect are publicly available in its website (philippinerevolution.info) and in social media,” the CPP said. “But as the CPP has also repeatedly pointed out, it will be the confluence of various democratic forces that will ultimately bring down Duterte.”
Lieutenant General Carlito G. Galvez Jr., AFP chief-of-staff, also denied at a Senate hearing last Tuesday that opposition Senator Antonio F. Trillanes IV is involved in the supposed ouster plot and even confirmed that the embattled lawmaker had applied for amnesty in 2011.
Meanwhile, Senate Minority Leader Franklin M. Drilon yesterday challenged the administration “to file charges against Liberal Party members” whom Mr. Roque insisted “are colluding with the communists to oust the President, an allegation that was later disproved by no less than Armed Forces Chief of Staff Gen. Carlito Galvez.”
“I challenge Malacañang, particularly presidential spokesman Harry Roque to file charges against LP members who are allegedly in cahoots with the communists to overthrow the government,” Mr. Drilon said in a statement.
“In fact, I believe it is the responsibility of Malacañang to file the charges now because its credibility is at stake for issuing baseless allegations that are later denied by the military,” he added.
Mr. Roque was asked for comment but has yet to reply as of press time. — Arjay L. Balinbin