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Friday, March 29, 2024

Robredo no plotter, says Palace; ouster move foiled

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Vice President Leni Robredo is not part of the alleged conspiracy to remove President Rodrigo Duterte from power, Malacañang said Tuesday as she denied her involvement in the “Red October” plot announced by the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

“As far as VP Leni is concerned, that’s a fair statement. As far I know, she was not among those specifically named to be part of the conspiracy,” Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque told reporters.

“She is, after all, the second highest elected official. She took an oath to support the Constitution and she is expected not to support any unconstitutional means to remove the President.”

Former President Benigno Aquino III on Tuesday also dismissed the allegations of conspiracy among the opposition, including the Liberal Party and communist rebels, to remove Duterte from power.

He challenged the capability of the communist rebels to play an integral role in the plan to oust the President.

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The military on Tuesday claimed to have prevented a threat to oust Duterte under the “Red October” scheme following the seizure of a cache of high-powered firearms during a raid at the supposed safe house of two top communist leaders in Rizal province. 

At least eight personalities, including the owner of a six-hectare farm, were apprehended by army operatives and agents of the National Bureau of Investigation after a raid at the Coral Farm in Sitio Dalig in Teresa, Rizal, around 7:30 am.

The efforts to oust Duterte from power were doomed to fail as these lacked popular support, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said Tuesday.

He made the statement when asked how different the so-called “Red October” plot was from the past ouster plots against the government.

The “Red October” plot intended to unseat President Duterte is just an invention of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Communist Party of the Philippines claimed, but Senator Panfilo Lacson said it was a “serious accusation” that should not be taken lightly regardless of the basis of the information.

Roque has kept mum on who from the Liberal Party’s members were plotting Duterte’s ouster.

“Let the AFP [provide information] because they have the intel and I do not,” Roque said. 

“In fact, even if I have access, it’s tedious to read intel reports. So I do not read their intel reports, but I will find out if there is a specific name in the AFP’s intel report.”

Asked if there were incumbent government officials behind the “Red October” plot, Roque was reticent to give information.

“There’s no information. As I said, it’s an intelligence information and what was made public by General Parlade did not specify names,” Roque said. He said the documents seized from communist groups provided the information.

“We stand by the intelligence information as gathered by the Armed Forces of the Philippines. It clearly provides for creating a broad coalition with Liberal Party members and the Magdalo. But again, I stress: you do everything, and nothing will happen there. The people’s support for the President is too strong,” Roque said. With Rio N. Araja, Francisco Tuyay, Macon Ramos-Araneta, and PNA

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