AFP says Reds getting foreign support for Oplan Talsik
THE Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and its political arm, National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP), are trying to get the support of the international community for its alleged ouster plot against President Rodrigo Duterte, a military official said Monday.
“Unang-una ‘yung movement against tyranny na ine-expose nina Joma Sison ‘yun talagang gusto nilang patalsikin. Actually, it’s an Oplan Talsik against existing administration para sila naman ang magkakaroon ng power dito sa ating society sa Pilipinas,” Major General Isidro Purisima, deputy chief of staff for operations of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), said.
“May mga alliances silang binibuild lalo na ‘yung mga legal oppositions natin saka ‘yung iba pa para magkaroon sila ng kakampi... sa international community don sila pumpasok ngayon, gusto nilang sirain ang ating imahe sa international community by infiltrating ‘yung mga sectors natin even ‘yung mga EU, ‘yung nasa western countries sisirain tayo sa ibang bansa para ma-prevent nila ung mga investors na pumunta sa ibang bansa,” he added.
The ouster plot or Oplan Talsik, which was dubbed as “Red October”, is allegedly scheduled to culminate in October to coincide with the international celebrations for Marxism, indigenous peoples, and communism.
AFP spokesperson Brigadier General Edgard Arevalo said they were considering the filing of charges against those behind Oplan Talsik.
“We are looking at possible legal action that we can take against, of course in relation with other agencies of government, when evidence and information are sufficient to warrant filing of cases,” Arevalo said.
Purisima said the plot was discovered through the documents which the military recovered during operations against the New People’s Army (NPA) as well as through the revelation of some communist rebels who surrendered to the government.
Earlier, AFP chief of staff General Carlito Galvez said a coalition which includes communist rebels, activist groups and some members of the opposition including, Satur Ocampo, former Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno and Senator Antonio Trillanes IV are involved in an ouster plot against Duterte.
He said the coalition is being led by leftist leaders Rey Casambre and Satur Ocampo while other members includes the critics of the administration, such as former chief justice Maria Lourdes Sereno and some members of the Liberal party.
AFP assistant deputy chief for operations Brigadier General Antonio Parlade said the group in infiltrating labor organizations of different companies and urging them to stage strikes which may later on lead to the closure of the company.
“I’ll cite as an example, the case of Nutri-Asia in Marilao, Bulacan. For 53 days that factory has been padlocked by these union members and many of them are active union members. Many of whom are members of Kadamay. Remember this group who occupied the housing project in Pandi, Bulacan? And many of these picketers are actually students from Bulacan State University and all of these groups were organized by the Communist Party of the Philippines, the National Democratic Front,” Parlade said.
“And now they are attempting to do this Aklasan in Monde-Nissin, PLDT, Jollibee. It’s a nationwide attempt really to (destabilize). It’s different in the sense that now they timed this in the celebration of martial law and this time it’s really about consolidating their forces, their alliances in time for the 50th Communist Party of the Philippines this coming December,” he added.
Arevalo said the coalition is targeting to conduct labor actions in areas like Metro Manila, Calabarzon, Cebu, Davao, Cagayan de Oro, Bacolod and Iloilo.
He said that they revealed the uncovered plot in order to inform and warn the public in case they would need “to make a decision” related to the matter.
“By doing this we are not protecting President Duterte per se. What we are protecting is our government. What we are protecting are the duly constituted authorities and our democratic way of life, we are, let us not be mistaken or let us not be misled, or let us not be misconstrued, we are not against any legitimate exercise of the people’s freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and freedom of assembly only that in so doing, that must be within the bounds of law,” said Arevalo. (Third Anne Peralta-Malonzo/SunStar Philippines)