ASEANews Headline: MANILA- Red plot eyes arms buildup

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) had decoded messages showing that police stations and military camps are main targets of the Red October plot to be led by the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) to collect arms for an uprising that will seek the removal of President Rodrigo Duterte.

The revelations of threats to the government also prompted the Senate to seek a longer period to hold terrorist agents under the Human Security Act (HSA).

Describing the country’s anti-terror act as the “weakest in the world,” senators yesterday supported proposed amendments to strengthen the law — including the extension to 30 days of the current 72-hour reglementary period of detention for suspected terrorists.

Senate President Vicente Sotto III and Sen. Panfilo Lacson, chairman of the Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs, were one in saying that Republic Act 9372 or the Human Security Act of 2007 is the weakest in the world and should be amended now.

The plot targets 11 October for its launch through mass actions that will escalate into armed attacks on the 17th of this month, AFP assistant deputy chief for operations Brig. Gen. Antonio Parlade said.

Communist assaults on state troops will peak on 17 October to go in tandem with the alleged escalation of plans to boot out Mr. Duterte.

Parlade said the CPP’s armed wing New People’s Army (NPA) had started mounting a string of attacks in police and army detachments in Sorsogon and other southern regions in preparation for the major operation.

The plot involves a nationwide coordinated tactical offensive as part of Red October based on documents seized by the military from the CPP-NPA.

“Their decoded messages show a nationwide coordinated tactical offensive from 11 to 17 October,” Parlade said.

“They have planned this for so long but aggressive operations of the AFP and the Philippine National Police (PNP) have preempted the plot,” he added.

Documents obtained from the CPP-NPA showed the code “Supermarket” means PNP stations and AFP detachments which are targets for the gathering of firearms.

“Casino” will mean sparrow operations targeting military assets and intelligence agents.
“Bulldozer” is the code for local mining operations which are also targeted. It also includes the burning of high impact government projects.

“Tabasco” will be the operations against extra-judicial killings (EJK) operators and vigilantes.

Taking down Hades

“Hades” means personalities in government who has blood debts with the communist movement.

Parlade said the codes are contained in a memorandum of the CPP-NPA’s National Operations Command (NOC) to its regional units.

“The attacks will last until November, but majority will occur in October. Their target is 17 October, this will mark the peak of the attacks,” Parlade said.

Military officials earlier accused communist rebels of heading a “broad coalition” of Duterte’s critics who are plotting for his ouster and urging labor unions to mount simultaneous strikes although the CPP had already denied the information.

Parlade urged Duterte’s critics to refrain from supporting the plot, which he said “is doomed to fail.”

Manhunt on

“They should just post their concerns properly. If they will join that, our economy will just suffer,” said Parlade. “State troops are already hunting down those behind the plot.”

The military is ready to bare its intelligence reports on the issue in an executive session with lawmakers when its officials attend a budget hearing today, Parlade added.

The Liberal Party (LP) and Magdalo Group, both fierce critics of the President, have denied any hand in the alleged ouster plan.

A “broad” coalition of communist rebels and Duterte’s critics are conspiring to remove him from office with communist leaders Rey Casambre and Satur Ocampo allegedly leading the coalition.

The coalition also includes supporters of ousted Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno and the group Tindig Pilipinas, whose members incidentally include LP leaders. Elmer Navarro Manuel

With Mario Mallari, Raymart T. Lolo and Kathleen Mae Bulquerin