Senators on Tuesday said organizers of community pantries who are aiding fellow Filipinos severely affected by the pandemic should not be intimidated and threatened.
“Ang kalaban ay gutom, hindi ang tumutulong! Di na ba pwedeng tumulong sa kapwa? Di na ba pwedeng magsalita ng iyong saloobin?” Senator Nancy Binay said in a tweet.
Binay said she doesn’t see the organizers of community pantries as enemies of the state “but as champions who have genuine compassion for our people.”
She also lashed out on those maliciously redbaiting Ana Patricia Non, the brain behind the donation drive.
RELATED STORY: Maginhawa community pantry halts operations following red-tagging claims
“Ganyan na ba ka-paranoid na pati ang pagtulong sa kapwa ay minamasama? Anong ambag n’yo? “ she asked.
For Senate Pro Tempore Ralph Recto, community pantries require no state franchise, nor government permit, nor police clearance.
“The business of helping your neighbor, as God commanded, requires no business permit from man,” he said adding that these initiatives have become self-policing projects by a disciplined populace.
“The police should, in fact, commend the organizers instead of censuring them,” he furthered.
Meanwhile, Senator Grace Poe reminded the police about their duty to serve and protect Filipinos.
“Law enforcers must, at all times, fulfill their duties of protecting the citizens, not intimidate them. Tumutulong na nga sila, tinatakot pa,” Poe pointed out.
Senator Win Gatchalian believes that the community pantry should not be politicized and urged government officilas to spare the organizers from politics.
“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,” Gatchalian stressed.
Senator Panfilo Lacson called on police to stop intimidating and accusing community pantries as art of destabilization plot and communist movement.
Lacson, a former police official, said that such ‘deplorable’ and ‘ill-advised’ acts must stop.
Philippines National Police chief Gen. Debold Sinas already denied that he ordered the profiling of organizers of community pantries.
On Monday, the organizer of the Maginhawa Community Pantry announced that they will temporarily cease operations due to issues of red-tagging.
In a Facebook post, Ana Patricia Non shared screenshots of several social media posts linking the community pantry to communist groups. (RA)
