CPP: ‘Democratic forces will bring down Duterte’

The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) said “various democratic” forces would “bring down” President Rodrigo Duterte as protests against the administration mount due to economic woes and political conflicts.

“It will be the confluence of various democratic forces that will ultimately bring down Duterte. Given the increasingly difficult economic conditions of the people and rising internal political conflicts within the Duterte regime, the Party anticipates protests to continue to mount in the coming months,” the CPP said in a statement on Tuesday.

A fierce critic of Duterte, the CPP added that the government’s plan to stop “communist insurgency” would only silence the grievances of the people.

“Duterte and his ilk are even planning militarize state agencies against these organizations in the guise of creating an inter-agency task force to “end the communist insurgency.  The AFP and Duterte are determined to silence and suppress the widespread social grievances of the people,” it said.

The opposition party also slammed Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief Gen. Carlito Galvez Jr. for accusing  universities in Metro Manila of involvement in the “Red October” ouster plot.

READ: AFP chief links 10 Metro Manila universities to ‘Red October’

“AFP Chief-of-Staff Gen. Carlito Galvez made the idiotic statement in the Senate budget hearings this Tuesday, after red-tagging 10 Metro Manila universities supposedly involved in the plot. Again, there is no Red October plot orchestrated by the CPP,” the CPP added.

It also denied the AFP’s claim that communists will force the President to declare a nationwide martial law, saying that the organization continues to denounce the ongoing martial law in Mindanao.

“Why should the CPP ‘push’ for martial law nationwide when it has repeatedly condemned and called for the lifting of martial law in Mindanao? Why should it ‘push’ for something which has relentlessly inflicted atrocious crimes on the people?” the CPP said.

At the Senate hearing on Tuesday, Galvez said Duterte is being “dragged” to proclaim martial law or most probably a revolutionary government due to the ‘Red October’ plot. /ee

READ: ‘Red October’ aims to force Duterte to declare martial law – AFP