The “Red October” plot allegedly being brewed by the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) is fizzling and Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana has said he was looking forward to a “White Christmas” instead.
“That (Red October plot) will not prosper anymore since we have uncovered their plans from the start,” Lorenzana told reporters on the sidelines of the International Day for Disaster Reduction 2018 in Quezon City.
Despite the apparently aborted plot, he insisted that the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) was able to retrieve documents after armed clashes with the New People’s Army (NPA), containing plans to oust President Rodrigo Duterte.
The “Red October” plot was supposed to take place on October 17, as earlier announced by the military through Brig. Gen. Antonio Parlade Jr, assistant deputy chief of staff for operations.
Parlade had also released a list of universities and colleges allegedly being used as recruitment grounds by the CPP and its armed wing, the NPA.
Among the 18 schools on the list are the University of the Philippines Diliman, UP Manila, Polytechnic University of the Philippines, Ateneo de Manila University, De La Salle University, University of Santo Tomas, Adamson University and Far Eastern University.
“When the AFP disclosed the plot, initially, they (plotters) were collaborating with several groups but when their plans were exposed by the AFP, they scampered, which is the reason why the plotters will not pursue it anymore,” according to Lorenzana.
Instead of a “Red October,” the Defence chief said in jest that he would rather opt to look forward to a happy December.
“Maybe White Christmas since the holiday season is approaching,” he added, when asked if there would be colour-coding in the coming months.
The supposed scuttling by the CPP and the NPA of the “Red October” plot came after the communists themselves and the political opposition, among other so-called destabilisers, laughed off the alleged plot to boot out Duterte from Malacanang.
Last month, Parlade told a television interview that members of the opposition, particularly from the Liberal Party (LP), were conniving with the communists to remove the president.
He, however, retracted his statement, saying some of the LP members withdrew their participation in the ouster plot after realising it was hatched by the communists.