Malacañang on Monday expressed confidence that “power-hungry” destabilizers would not succeed in overthrowing President Rodrigo Duterte, who enjoys the public’s “overwhelming support.”“We are confident that we enjoy overwhelming support from the people and therefore what these groups would want to see — the ouster of President Duterte — would not happen,” Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said. ADVERTISEMENTRoque made the remarks as the military confirmed the existence of “Red October,” a purported plot to remove the President from office next month. Military disclosureThe military disclosed the plot to unseat the President as it pushed for the creation of a national task force to end the communist insurgency. At a press briefing at Camp Aguinaldo on Monday, Col. Edgard Arevalo, spokesperson for the military, said part of the plan was the infiltration by the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and its armed wing, the New People’s Army (NPA), of groups opposing the President. But exiled CPP founding chair Jose Maria Sison said on Monday the military’s proposal for a national interagency task force would only be a waste of taxpayer money and would not help quell the rising ranks of NPA rebels.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer September 24, 2018 21:45 UTC