THE Eastern Mindanao Command (Eastmincom) said the ouster plot being brewed by the communist group and anti-government forces called Red October “melted down” after it was exposed.
But if it pushes through, Eastmincom spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Ezra Balagtey was certain that it will not prosper in Eastern Mindanao.
“In as far as the plot to oust Duterte, hindi mangyayari yan dito sa Eastern Mindanao, hindi magkakaroon ng suporta sa Eastern Mindanao,” he said.
(With regards to the plot to oust Duterte, it will not happen in Mindanao. It will not gain support from Eastern Mindanao.)
"As mentioned ng spokesperson ng AFP, ang Red October kasi na-burn out na ang kanilang plano. Sa Eastern Mindanao hindi yan mangyayari. They cannot create critical mass,” he added.
The alleged plot was revealed last month by the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
The plot to overthrow the Duterte administration allegedly involved massive uprisings and activities to gain the support of various sectors.
“Sabi nga ng ating commander na si Madrigal, in as far as the Red October it will not prosper in the area of Eastern Mindanao Command dahil nga nakita nila ang ating local government units’ sincerity in addressing the issues of conflict sa kani-kanilang mga areas,” Balagtey said.
The efforts carried out by various sectors to address the root cause of insurgency and the significant number of surrenderers who withdrew their support to the left group are believed to be the reason for the plot’s failure.
Based on the Eastmincom’s data, a total of 686 regular members of the New People’s Army (NPA) laid down their arms while the critical mass of the group were slowly dismantled with the surrender of its 7,392 supporters. These figures manifest that their forces and mass-based support have weakened.