Senators slam ‘red-tagging’ of community pantry organizers

Senators on Tuesday slammed the “red-tagging” or linking of community pantry initiatives across the country to communist movements.

In a statement, Senator Nancy Binay denounced the apparent red-tagging of the organizers of community pantries— an initiative aimed at helping people by donating food and other essentials.

“My heart goes to Patreng (Ana Patricia Non), who has been maliciously red-tagged for having a heart for the poor. Ganyan na ba ka-paranoid na pati ang pagtulong sa kapwa ay minamasama? Anong ambag n'yo?” Binay asked.

(Are you that paranoid that even this humanitarian act was perceived as something bad? What have you done for the country?)

Senator Panfilo Lacson also expressed concern on the red-tagging of people behind this humanitarian act, which he believed as movements “born out of desperation.”

He questioned the logic behind linking the community pantries to movements to “overthrow the government.”

“The only similarities between community pantries and communism are the first seven letters, ano. “Communi.” Aside from the seven letters, wala akong makitang similarity because these are purely humanitarian acts from some of our countrymen who wanted to you know, whether they are subliminally relaying a message to the government that they should do better than what they are doing in addressing the pandemic,” he said in a CNN interview.

Without “solid proof,” Lacson further pointed out that it is “ill-advised” and “deplorable” for police officers to suspect community pantry organizers in “engaging in destabilization.”

“I think that (red-tagging) should stop and the government should encourage some more. There are health protocols that should be followed pero dapat payagan natin, (but we should allow these pantries)” he said.

For him, the “only possible explanation” behind the “threatening” of community pantry organizers is that the initiatives are being perceived as a “competition with the government."

He also pointed out that the national government has been “over-regulating” the pandemic response which “stunted” the help coming from the private sector and the local government units.

On Tuesday morning, Non, the organizer of the Maginhawa Community Pantry, said there would be a pause in its operation for the safety of its volunteers.

The National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict posted graphics on its Facebook page apparently linking the community pantry initiatives to the communist movement.

The Quezon City Police District likewise posted a similar graphic on its Facebook page.

Background check

On Tuesday, NTF-ELCAC spokesperson Lieutenant General Antonio Parlade Jr.  on Tuesday admitted that they are checking the background of the organizers of community pantries,

On the other hand, the National Police chief Police General Debold Sinas denied the alleged police profiling of the organizers.

Non said three policemen had asked for contact and whether she belonged to an organization.

Bayan Muna party-list Representative Carlos Isagani Zarate decried the supposed profiling of individuals who are setting up community pantries, noting that "state terror does not spare even hunger and compassion."

“Why are you terrorizing those showing solidarity and concern for our poor people? Kasalanan na ba ang pagiging gutom dahil sa kapabayaan ng pamahalaan?” Zarate said in a statement.

(Is being hungry due to the negligence of the government already an offense?)

“Krimen na ba ang pagtulong sa mga nagugutom na mga kababayan natin? May memo ba ang DILG o NTF-ELCAC para pigilan ang mga community pantry?” he added.

(Is helping those in need already a crime? Does the DILG or the NTF-ELCAC issue a memorandum to stop these community pantries?)

‘Good Samaritans’

Albay Representative Edcel Lagman, meanwhile, said the Duterte administration should “stop crucifying the Good Samaritans.”

“The Duterte administration must not compound its culpable inadequacy of rescuing the poor from the abyss of the pandemic by red-tagging and profiling the Good Samaritans who have put up community pantries to help the poorest of the poor,” Lagman said in a separate statement.

For his part, Senator Sherwin Gatchalian appealed to local and other government officials to “spare” the community pantries from being linked to politics, saying this must encourage participants coming from the private sector.

“Hindi dapat ginagawa itong negative political weapon. Ang mga ganitong klaseng noble effort ay mas maganda kung manatiling nasa pribadong kamay para walang pulitika, walang kulay,” the lawmaker said in a statement.

(This should not be used as negative political weapon. This kind of noble effort is better if it is being handled by the private citizens to avoid politics.) — with Anna Felicia Bajo/RSJ, GMA News