Military’s support for Duterte ‘overwhelming’

President Duterte enjoys the military’s “overwhelming support” and sees no need to conduct loyalty checks amid a plot for his ouster dubbed “Red October,” Malacañang said on Thursday.

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said that while there was a need to verify the alleged involvement of some soldiers in the ouster plot, the Palace was confident that the military and the police would not back the destabilizers.

“We should look at all angles, but I think the President enjoys the overwhelming support of the military,” Roque said.

During a visit to Camp Vicente Lim in Laguna on Wednesday, President Duterte spoke of his disappointment at soldiers who, he said, were colluding with the communists and opposition politicians to overthrow him.

On Thurday, the President said he was ready to step down because of the destabilization efforts by his enemies and his difficulty stopping corruption in the government.

‘I really want to go’

“That’s why those saying there would a coup d’ etat, mutiny, and that they want me to go—the irony of it all is that I really want to go,” he said to his audience of new career executives.

The military earlier bared that the Communist Party of the Philippines, the Liberal Party, members of the Magdalo group and other opposition forces had banded together to remove the President in a plot called “Red October.”

Roque pointed out that the President had the military’s support because he improved their welfare by doubling their salaries and providing them better housing benefits. — REPORTS FROM JULIE M. AURELIO, CHRISTINE O. AVENDAÑO