After the Philippine midterm elections, some members of the opposition party decided to join the majority coalition in Congress. This despite the aggressive campaigning of opposition candidates against the human rights abuses under the government of President Rodrigo Duterte.
That opposition politicians would quickly affiliate themselves with the ruling party reflects not only the quality of the country’s political party system but also the decrease in the number of voices demanding accountability from the Duterte government.
Written for The Diplomat magazine
Is There Really a New Duterte Coup Plot in the Philippines?
Of late, a new wave of speculation has arisen surrounding Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte. Accusations have emerged that the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) is conspiring with other political forces, attempting to build a critical mass that will push for Duterte’s ouster from power.
The initial wave began when the Philippine military disclosed that a so-called “Red October” plot is being readied by the CPP in connivance with some members of Liberal Party and Magdalo to force Duterte to declare Martial Law and use this emergency situation to provoke mass uprisings across the country. The Liberal Party was the party that governed the Philippines before Duterte, while Magdalo is composed mostly of former junior officers of the military who tried to launch a coup against the government of former President Gloria Arroyo.
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