PNP orders probe into alleged red-tagging of community pantry organizers by police

The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Wednesday ordered an investigation into the supposed red-tagging of community pantry organizers by the police, its spokesperson Police Brigadier General Ronaldo Olay said.

At the Laging Handa briefing, Olay said PNP chief Police General Debold Sinas has instructed the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group and all police regional offices  to conduct an investigation into the involved personnel.

“Pinagutos na rin niya kanina na imbestigahan ng CIDG at mga police regional offices yung alleged red-tagging na 'yan. Imbestigahan nila 'yung sarili nilang tauhan,” Olay said.

(PNP chief Sinas earlier directed the CIDG and police regional offices to investigate the alleged red-tagging. They will investigate their own personnel.)

Olay added that the PNP Anti-Cybercrime Group was also tasked to look into text messages and social media posts associating these organizers of community pantries to rebel groups.

Earlier in the day, the National Capital Region Police Office said it will investigate police officers involved in the alleged profiling of community pantry organizers.

Interviewed on Super Radyo dzBB, NCRPO chief Police Major General Vicente Danao pointed out that there is no such instruction from the police leadership to conduct profiling on the people behind the community pantry trend.

“Kung meron man po, ang ating opisina ay iimbestigahan po kung meron mang pulis [na involved]. Pero wala pong instruction coming from higher level, o sa aking level, o sa level siguro po ng director na gawin,” he said.

(If ever there was profiling, our office will investigate. But there was no instruction coming from higher level, or my level, and even at the level of police director to do it.)

Maginhawa Community Pantry

On Monday, Anna Patricia Non, organizer of the Maginhawa Community Pantry, said they would temporarily halt their operations for the safety of its volunteers amid the alleged red-tagging.

Aside from this, some of the organizers were supposedly being asked for their personal information by government authorities.

The group has since resumed its operations Wednesday.

Earlier on Tuesday, Sinas denied the alleged police profiling of organizers of community pantries, which sprouted recently amid the hardship brought upon by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“There is no order from the National Headquarters to conduct any form of profiling of organizers of community pantries,” he said.

“It is beyond the interest of the PNP to delve into purely voluntary personal activities of private citizens,” he added.

However, government anti-insurgency task force spokesperson Lieutenant General Antonio Parlade Jr. admitted that they are checking the background of the organizers. 

On Tuesday, the Quezon City Police District (QCPD) apologized to the community pantry organizers over a social media post supposedly red-tagging the volunteers.

In a statement, the QCPD said its director, Police Brigadier General Antonio Yarra, does not and will never allow red-tagging.

“The QCPD expresses sincere apology particularly to the affected party for the inconvenience that the inadvertent post could have caused and reassured of her safety and protection,” the QCPD said.

According to the QCPD, the post originated from the Facebook page of youth organization Peace Philippines whose legitimacy, it said, is being verified. — RSJ, GMA News