Galvez: CPP ‘organizes’ students in 10 Manila universities for ‘Red October’ plot

Armed Forces Chief of Staff General Carlito Galvez, Jr. said the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) ‘organized’ students from 10 universities in Manila as part of the alleged “Red October” plot against President Rodrigo Duterte.

Galvez said this as he was asked by Senator Antonio “Sonny” Trillanes IV regarding the plot during a budget hearing at the Senate on Tuesday, October 2.

The military official explained that the “Red October” plot is a combination of “armed struggle” and “legal struggle” which will be done by the CPP and its armed wing, New People’s Army (NPA), using “broad coalition” with the opposition and ‘infiltration’ of various youth sectors and the labor sector.

“In fact, they have already organized 10 of the universities in Manila. Right now, they are making a lot of information drive wherein they will show high school, even college students, the different atrocities committed during the Marcos regime and equate that to the present administration,” he said.

Galvez did not name those 10 universities, however, he noted that CPP founding chairman Jose Maria “Joma” Sison has “conducted a lot of conferences” in the University of the Philippines (UP).

“Meron po kaming (We have) documents. I cannot reveal ‘yon (that), but I can reveal it to the executive session,” he said.

The communist rebels, the official added, have “Operation Talsik” and “Operation Aklasan” wherein they will conduct labor protests as well as tactical offensives.

“It is a very elaborate plan wherein they started the heightening of the agitation using the First Quarter Storm model,” Galvez said.

“Their plan is really to have a successive mass mobilization starting on September 21, then October, until such time that they have also their 50th anniversary this coming December,” he added.

During the same budget hearing, Galvez also confirmed that there is no coalition between the Liberal Party (LP) and the CPP to remove the President from his post.

His remark was contrary to what Duterte earlier claimed where he said the public should watch out for the LP, Trillanes, and communist rebels as these three forces are trying to oust him.

In a press briefing also on Tuesday, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, Jr. insisted this again, saying that the Palace is ‘convinced’ that some members of the LP might be working with the CPP.

“I’m sure individual members of the Liberal Party, as the President said, may be in collusion with the CPP-NPA,” Roque said.

“It could be true that there is no formal memorandum of agreement between the party itself and the CPP-NPA, [but] it does not prevent leading personalities with the Liberal Party from having such collusion,” he added.