Duterte, not LP or Magdalo, was allied with communists —Alejano

Magdalo party-list Representative Gary Alejano on Tuesday hit out at President Rodrigo Duterte, accusing the chief executive of having been in bed with communists in the past.

Alejano made the remark after the Armed Forces of the Philippines accused opposition groups of conspiring with communist rebels to topple the government.

Alejano said Duterte himself had ties with the communists early on his life. He said that when Duterte was still a political science student at the Lyceum of the Philippines University, he was a member of the Kabataang Makabayan.

Alejano added that Duterte, as Davao City mayor, had publicly announced that he was paying revolutionary taxes to the New People's Army and even encouraged business to do the same.

"Also, when he assumed office as President in 2016, he appointed personalities allied to the communists to the detriment of the security of the democratic government. Alam ng sundalo ito," Alejano said.

"I would recommend that the Armed Forces demand from the President to cleanse government bureaucracy of any personality allied to the communists," he added.

"Ang sa amin dito, unahin nila yun kasi it is the President that continues to sleep with the enemies of the state."

Nevertheless, Alejano said there was no supposed "Red October" ouster plot against Duterte, moreso the Liberal Party and the Magdalo were part of it.

"This is just part of the narrative of the President na involved ang mga opposition at pinagkaisahan siya na tatanggalin. Narinig na natin si Secretary of National Defense [Delfin Lorenzana] na fake news ito," he said.

"Walang balita, walang information na nagsasabi na kasama ang Liberal at Magdalo sa ouster plot except for the Communist Party of the Philippines, New People's Army and National Democratic Front," he added.

The accusation, Alejano said, was only meant to divert the attention of the public from the Duterte administration's failures.

It could even be used as grounds for the justification of the declaration of a nationwide martial law, he added.

But Alejano said he had talked about the matter to military officials who, he said, did not favor any such move.

"Kaya nga sinabi ko [sa military] kahapon, hindi sana mangyari itong ginagawa ng armed forces para ikondisyon ang taumbayan na the situation is right for the declaration of nationwide martial law," he said.

"Ang sabi naman nila sa akin, ayaw nila yun dahil magulo yun. I hope tama ang sinasabi nila," he added. —JST, GMA News