AFP: Reds planning to oust PRRD

“We cannot take chances, it’s a threat not only to the liberties of our people (or) in the life of our President, we in the department have to take that seriously,” Arevalo stressed. (PNA Photo)

MANILA — The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Tuesday confirmed the communist rebels’ plans to oust President Rodrigo Duterte.

Col. Edgard Arevalo, AFP spokesperson, said they learned of the plot based on recovered or captured documents.

“It was based sa mga (from) recovered documents,” Arevalo stressed.

Arevalo, however, declined to give comments on when and where these documents were obtained or captured.

“Hindi ko na muna ia-annnounce sa ngayon (I will not announce it for now),” he added.

The AFP spokesperson noted that the threat is considered credible as it came from rebel documents and that the military cannot take chances on the matter.

“We cannot take chances, it’s a threat not only to the liberties of our people (or) in the life of our President, we in the department have to take that seriously,” Arevalo stressed.

Also, he refused to answer on whether other groups are aligning themselves with Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) for this plot.

“I’m not privy about other groups if there are other groups,” the AFP spokesperson added.

Earlier, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said the CPP-National Democratic Front has plans to oust Duterte which will culminate this coming October.

The latter is among the seven other reasons why the defense chief is pushing for the termination of peace talks with the rebel group.