Maginhawa community pantry’s initiative to provide food supplies for people severely affected by the pandemic was forced to temporarily close its operation due to the alleged red-tagging of volunteers.
Ana Patricia Non, Maginhawa Community Pantry organizer recently posted on her Facebook asking for help from Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte as she was confronted by 3 unnamed police officers for her personal information and to which organization she belonged.
Non has announced on her Facebook saying, “Malungkot po dahil hindi muna ipapamahagi ang goods na inihanda naming buong maghapon dahil sa #RedTagging na nagaganap. (It’s saddening that we can’t distribute goods we prepared all day due to the red tagging incident).”
She encountered allegations with police officers on Monday said, “Natatakot po ako maglakad mag-isa papunta sa community pantry ng alas-5 ng umaga dahil po sa walang basehang paratang sa amin. Gusto ko lang po talaga makatulong at sana po ay huwag nyo masamain, (I’m scared to walk by myself to the community pantry at 5 a.m. because of baseless accusations against us. I really just want to help, please don’t take it the wrong way. ”
The National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) and the Quezon City Police District (QCPD) on their official and separate Facebook pages shared several posts alleging that the community pantry is a propaganda for the organizations of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and the New People’s Army.
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=2883887728535591&set=pcb.2883888128535551
“Ito ba ang taos-pusong pagtulong? (Is this what you call sincere assistance?),” posted the NTF-ELCAC on its social media, highlighting a photo of Kabataan Partylist Rep. Sarah Elago.
“Mabigat sa pakiramdam ko kasi maganda po ang intentions ko noong binuo ko ang community pantry at ilang araw na din po na napakaraming pinagsisilbihan nito at ganoon din po ang tulong na dumadating (It is hard for me because I only have good intentions when I decided to put up the community pantry and it really helped a lot of people for many days now, and donations are pouring too),” she added.
https://www.facebook.com/PatrengNon/posts/2883888128535551
The anti-insurgency task force has yet to issue their statement on why they have tied the said mother of all pantries to Communist parties as such allegation.
In addition, Raymund Enriquez Liboro Privacy Commissioner of National Privacy Commissions (NPC) said, “that the collecting (of) personal data must be done fairly and lawfully with respect to the rights of data subject, including the right to be informed and object.”
https://www.facebook.com/privacy.gov.ph/photos/a.1764582130491542/3146901322259609/
The commissioner is calling the attention of the Philippine National Police Data Protection Office (PNP-DPO) to look into red-tagging reports of its personnel. He added that “PNP leadership in the past has acted on unlawful profiling and recognized the importance of protecting the privacy of the citizenry in the performance of their duty.”
Non who initially established the pantry that became the role model of other sprouting pantries are starting to be linked to suspicious allegations. The organizer is making a general statement today, Tuesday on a zoom meeting to clear things against the issue of profiling.
Before the incident happened on Monday, several government officials, senators, and even the religious sector have lauded the community for spreading the good deeds for others despite the challenges that the country is facing.
Meanwhile, Senator Win Gatchalian said community pantries are signs that “ordinary Filipinos are ready and willing to help” the needy.
“Ito ay ang pinakamagandang simbolo ng modern-day bayanihan na lahat tayo ay may kakayahang tumulong (This is modern-day unity that shows everyone is capable of helping),” he added in a statement.
Photo Credit: www.facebook.com/PatrengNon
