Joy Belmonte slams NTF-ELCAC for sowing fear among community pantry organizers

Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte on Wednesday called out the National Task Force on Ending the Local Armed Conflict for allegedly sowing fear among organizers of community pantries which sprouted around her city.

On The Mangahas Interview, Belmonte indicated that Ana Patricia Non's experience with the authorities asking for details after putting up the Maginhawa Community Pantry was not isolated.

"What they did was they went around, they asked questions, ang dami kong reports hindi lang 'yung kay Patricia," Belmonte told veteran journalist Malou Mangahas of the NTF-ELCAC's supposed activities in the city.

"Marami pang ibang community pantries ang nagsabi sa akin and the result of that was they sowed fear. Naging source of fear sila and apprehension rather than source of safety sa mga tao," she added.

[There were other community pantries, not just Patricia's... Many other community pantries talked to me and the result of that was that they sowed fear. They became a source of fear rather than a source of safety for the people.]

Non stopped her pantry operations for a day on Tuesday after she said police asked her about personal details and affiliations. 

Sought for comment, NTF-ELCAC spokesman Lieutenant General Antonio Parlade said communists "had deceptive ways to push our people to the armed struggle." 

"The problem is when you know you are doing something else, other than sharing food, to agitate people to hate the govt or propagandize," Parlade said.

"Knowing that the communist terrorists have deceptive ways to push our people to the armed struggle then Local Govt Executives should be on the lookout too," he added.

"At this time of the pandemic we welcome the Bayanihan spirit of Filipinos. But spare them this cheap trick," Parlade said.

Belmonte said she was surprised by the actions of the NTF-ELCAC. 

"Because first, they are part of all of the cities' peace and order council. Tapos we have undergone so much training, kaming mga mayor at ang aming mga local government, pati mga barangay, with regards to the different signs to show or indicate that an act might be an act of the communist or people who want to overthrow the government," Belmonte said.

"Pero itong mga little things like giving food, ang layo naman niyan sa overthrowing the govt kaya hindi ko rin nakikita kung bakit yung sariling sistemang ipinalaganap ng NTF-ELCAC sa aming mga mayor hindi nila sinundan, hindi sila nakipa-coordinate sa amin, itong simpleng pagbibigay ng pagkain pinagsuspetiyahan. So hindi consistent yung messaging," she added.

'Background checks'

NTF-ELCAC spokesperson Lieutenant General Antonio Parlade Jr.  on Tuesday admitted that the task force had been checking the background of the organizers of community pantries.

Interviewed on Super Radyo dzBB, Parlade claimed that some leftist groups had been copying the community pantry activities to push their propaganda.

"We're just checking itong background ng mga 'to. Yes, tsini-check 'yan [We're just checking their background. Yes, they are being checked],” Parlade said.

"Habang nandoon sila sa community, meron silang propaganda na ginagawa. May sinasabi silang gutom ang mga tao dahil sa kapalpakan ng gobyerno, kung anu-ano pa," added.

[They're spreading propaganda while at the community pantry. They are saying that the people are hungry because of government failure, among other propaganda.] --NB, GMA News