Grumblings in the military bared as Duterte woos Reds

President Duterte’s alliance with the communist leaders has caused “grumblings” within the Armed Forces of the Philippines, but the discontent was not enough for the military to oust its Commander in Chief, a former rebel officer-turned-party-list congressman said on Sunday.

While clarifying that he does not speak for the military, Magdalo Rep. Gary Alejano said “the AFP knows Mr. Duterte’s relationship with the Left.”

Alejano said the President had given several concessions to the Communist Party of the Philippines to revive the stalled peace talks, including the release of several high profile communist leaders.

He also noted that throughout the peace talks, Mr. Duterte had been trying to win the military over. It was an “unusual courtship” by the President himself, that includes promises of higher salaries and pension hikes to raffling off firearms at several military camp visits.

“The President is confused over his (strategy) because he wants to please everybody, but you can’t do that,” Alejano said.

Alejano warned that while there was no ouster moves against the President, “there is always a breaking point,” referring to issues that could still come out against Mr. Duterte aside from allegations of corruption and human rights violations.

“I told myself before I will never join any attempt to overthrow the President but I ended up joining two because the situation had become untenable,” he said.

Alejano, then a Marine junior officer, along with now Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV, led nearly 300 officers and men in two coup attempts in 2003 and 2007.