Members of the Communist Party of the Philippines conduct a post-celebration of its founding anniversary in the hinterlands of Luzon, January 1, 2018. Mark Saludes, ABS-CBN News

MANILA - The plan of communist rebels to overthrow the government this month has fizzled out, but they are still plotting destabilization moves for December, the military said Monday.

Defense officials earlier said communists are conniving with President Rodrigo Duterte's critics to boot him out of office in a scheme dubbed "Red October."

Authorities thwarted the plan by baring it before the media and discouraging legitimate opposition from joining, said military spokesperson Brig. Gen. Edgardo Arevalo.

The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), however, will keep up destabilization moves to mark its founding anniversary in December, he said.

"Ang tinatawag po natin d'yan ay rolling plan. Gusto nilang bigyan ng grandiyosong pagdiriwang ang kanilang ika-50 anibersaryo ngayong Disyembre," he told radio DZMM.

(We call that a rolling plan. They want a grandiose celebration of their 50th anniversary in December.)

"Sumablay man po ang kanilang tinatawag na Red October plan, hindi po ibig sabihin nito ay puwede na tayong mag-relax, put our guard down," he added.

(Their Red October plan may have failed, but this does not mean that we can relax and let our guard down.)

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The military, he said, is keeping up intelligence and combat operations against the communist rebels.

Authorities will also reach out to universities to ensure that they are not used by rebels as recruitment grounds for students, said Arevalo.

The CPP earlier denied the Red Ouster plot, which it likened to claims of a Maoist rebellion in 1972, which then President Ferdinand Marcos used as justification for declaring martial rule.