MANILA, Philippines — Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon has challenged Malacañang to press charges against Liberal Party members allegedly involved in the supposed communist-led plot to oust President Rodrigo Duterte.
Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque has been insisting that the opposition party is colluding with communist rebels on the "Red October" plot to overthrow the Duterte administration.
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This, despite Gen. Carlito Galvez, Armed Forces of the Philippines chief, clearing the Liberal Party, as well as Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV and the Magdalo group, of supposed links to the ouster plot.
"I challenge Malacañang, particularly presidential spokesman Harry Roque to file charges against LP members who are allegedly in cahoots with the communists to overthrow the government," Drilon said Wednesday.
The Senate minority leader added that Malacañang has the responsibility to file charges as its credibility is on the line "for issuing baseless allegations that have already been denied by the military."
In response to Galvez' statement, Roque said: "It could be true that there is no formal memorandum of agreement between the party itself and the [Communist Party of the Philippines - New People's Army]. It does not prevent leading personalities with the Liberal Party from having such collusion."
READ: Palace: No inconsistency in Duterte, AFP statement on LP involvement with reds
'Roque making up stories'
Drilon stressed that Galvez' statement before the Senate on Tuesday should have put the issue to rest.
"But Roque's insistence shows that he is merely making up stories to harass the critics of the president, and the political opposition," Drilon said.
The government should focus on the increasing prices of oil instead of engaging on "political bickering," the senator said.
"I am alarmed over the continued increases in oil prices for the eight consecutive weeks and the perception, whether true or not, that the government appears helpless in addressing the problem," the senator said.
Drilon called on the government to step up its efforts in addressing the country's inflation, which rose to a nine-year high of 6.4 percent in August.
"We need to rebuild the national economy more and engage in political bickering less," he said.
Philippine National Police Director General Oscar Albayalde insisted that the so-called "Red October" plot has basis bit is not a threat at the moment.
“We don’t see it as a threat as of this time but it can be a concern. For some, it can be a concern, but we do not treat it as a threat as far as the PNP is concerned. I don’t know with other agencies,” Albayalde said earlier this week.