PNP HRAO says sorry to pantry organizers, maintains police do not red-tag

The chief of the Philippine National Police Human Rights Affairs Office on Wednesday apologized to community pantry organizers who have supposedly experienced profiling by some police personnel.

At a briefing of the House Committee on Human Rights, Police Brigadier General Vincent Calanoga, acting chief of PNP HRAO, maintained that policemen are not directed to conduct profiling of community pantry organizers. 

"'Yung iba pong insidente na kung saan tinawag po na profiling o red tagging ay hindi po sakop ng pulisya, ng buong PNP. Ito po ay binigyan ng kaukulang aksyon para hindi na po ito mauulit," Calanoga said. 

"Sa mga naapektuhan po, humihingi po ang PNP HRAO ng paumanhin sa mga taong naapektuhan kung ano man po 'yung maibalita o naipost na hindi po nila nagustuhan," he added. 

Calanoga said police who are seen patrolling in the streets and who ask questions are just doing their responsibility in monitoring the situation in their respective areas of responsibility. 

"'Yung pagtatanong po ng aming mga pulis, halimbawa 'yung mga pulis po na nagpapatrolya sa kalsada, sila po ay may katungkulan na alamin ang lahat ng nangyayaring insidente o anumang aktibidad sa kanilang areas of responsibility," he said. 

"Kaya 'pag ang pulis po ay nagtatanong, 'yan po ay para maisama po sa kanilang patrol report. Sana po maintindihan natin ang ating mga kapulisan," Calanoga added. 

He stressed that the directive of PNP chief Police General Guillermo Lorenzo Eleazar is clear and that is to help and protect these community pantries. 

Community pantries have sprouted across the country after the first one, which was initiated by Ana Patricia Non and set up along Maginhawa Street, drew people in need of basic goods amid the pandemic. 

There were reports that organizers of community pantries such as Non were being profiled by police officers, especially in Metro Manila. 

The PNP, then under the leadership of retired Police General Debold Sinas, already denied that there was an order to profile these organizers. —KG, GMA News