PNP on NTF-ELCAC actions vs. community pantries: Mayors have their own ordinances

The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Thursday seemed to distance itself from the issue between the government's anti-insurgency task force and organizers and supporters of  community pantries that recently sprouted amid the pandemic.

According to PNP spokesperson Police Brigadier General Ronaldo Olay, the operations of these pantries will depend on the ordinances of local government units.

Olay said this after Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte criticized the government anti-insurgency task force for its actions against community pantries in her city and their organizers.

“Local chief executives/local government units have their own local ordinances to impose,” Olay told GMA News Online when asked about Belmonte’s concerns.

On Wednesday, Belmonte called out the National Task Force on Ending the Local Armed Conflict for (NTF-ELCAC) for allegedly sowing fear among community pantry organizers.

Belmonte said Ana Patricia Non's experience with the authorities asking for details after she put up the Maginhawa Community Pantry, which started the current trend of community pantries, was not isolated.

"What they did was they went around, they asked questions, ang dami kong reports hindi lang 'yung kay Patricia," Belmonte said.

"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 are afraid. They became a source of fear rather than a source of safety for the people.)

Olay said the presence of the police in community pantries is to ensure peace and order as well as compliance with minimum health standards in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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

According to him, some leftist groups had been copying the community pantry activities to push their propaganda and undermine the government. —KBK, GMA News