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MANILA - The Magdalo party-list and Liberal Party have joined forces to field candidates for next year's Senate elections, Magdalo Rep. Gary Alejano said Wednesday.

Military officials claimed over the weekend that a coalition spearheaded by communist rebels is ironing a "Red October" plot to oust President Duterte next month. Allegedly part of the scheme is advocacy group Tindig Pilipinas, which counts Magdalo and LP leaders as members.

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"Mayroon nang usapang alyansa ang Magdalo at Liberal Party at even ang Akbayan party and other organizations na magbuo nitong opposition slate [para sa halalan] -- hindi sa ouster plot, sinasabing Red October, parang White Christmas," Alejano told radio DZMM.

(The Magdalo and Liberal Party, and even the Akbayan party and other organizations, have agreed on an alliance to come up with an opposition slate for the elections -- not an ouster plot, the so-called Red October that sounds like White Christmas.)

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"Ang focus po natin dito iyung democracy na proseso na election, hindi iyung pagtatanggal sa Presidente. Ang taong bayan ang nagdedesisyon d'yan. Wala po kaming kapangyarihan," he added.

(Our focus here is on the democratic process of election, not the removal of the President. Only the public can decide on that, we have no power over it.)

Alejano said he has talked with military officials over the issue.

Military spokesperson Col. Edgard Arevalo on Tuesday said legitimate opposition groups like Magdalo and Tindig Pilipinas backed out of the Red October scheme.

The coalition against Duterte, however, retains the support of some youth, women's and labor groups that will allegedly mount strikes against some firms and use the issue of inflation to erode support for the government, he said.