Red October (plot)
Red October was an alleged ouster plot to remove Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte. After winning the 2016 Philippine presidential election, Duterte started a controversial anti-drug campaign. The Armed Forces of the Philippines and Duterte revealed a reported ouster plot called "Red October" on September 24, 2018. Vice President Leni Robredo, Senator Antonio Trillanes, and the Makabayan bloc denied their involvement in the plot. Three days later, a Chinese national was arrested in relation to the plot. A list of schools allegedly involved in the plot was released on October 4 by the AFP. The military claimed that the plot would continue in December, though the claims were denied.
Background
In an interview with Rappler in the late months of 2015, Duterte announced his candidacy for president in the upcoming 2016 Philippine presidential election. He filed his Certificate of Candidacy for the presidential election a few days later, withdrawing from the mayoral race of Davao City. After intense competition, he won with a total vote count of 16.6 million. His presidency was controversial and marked by an intensive crackdown on illegal drugs. In his first 100 days, the Philippine National Police killed approximately 3,600 people. The government carried out thousands of raids. Because of this, he was involved in a conflict against the United Nations, the European Union, and other organizations.Discovery and reactions
On September 8, 2018, Duterte accused the opposition of plotting to oust him. Members of the opposition said that he was a victim of his own "paranoia". Two days later, reporters asked officials for more information about the alleged plot to no avail. The supposed plot was originally codenamed "Akalasan", according to PNP documentation. Small rallies were held on September 21, causing Metro Manila Police General Guillermo Eleazar to say that the protest areas were "peaceful". On September 24, in a military camp in Jolo, Sulu, Duterte accused soldiers of holding discussions with rebel groups like the Communist Party of the Philippines and the New People's Army to remove him from office. The plot was allegedly named "Red October". The Malacañang Palace released a video of his statement the next day.According to AFP Chief of Staff Carlito Galvez Jr., the plot aimed to politically trap Duterte into declaring martial law and a revolutionary government. The next day, the CPP said that the ouster plot was just a fabrication by the military. They said the aim of the government was to "target legitimate protest actions". Vice President Leni Robredo stated that "linking opposition groups to ouster plots was a tactic used in martial law to silence the opposition." Senator Antonio Trillanes denied his involvement in the ouster plot. Four days later, the AFP seized from 13 alleged members of the CPP laptops and documents that Gen. Antonio Parlade Jr. alleged to be proof of the ouster plot. The Makabayan also denied their involvement on September 27, although they were planning for a protest rally the next month. According to Silvestre Bello III, the Secretary of Labor and Employment, the plot was just "hearsay" because of the strong public support of Duterte.