The Quezon City local government has ensured that the community pantries built in the city will remain safe and will not be disturbed by the police amid the famine brought on by the lack of aid amid the lockdown.
This was said by QC Mayor Joy Belmonte, Tuesday, after some of the organizers of Maginhawa Community Pantry such as Ana Patricia Non was linked to the communist rebels.
“I would like to personally assure Ms. Ana Patricia Non and other like-minded individuals that the local government of Quezon City fully supports Community Pantries,” the mayor said.
“Indeed, these initiatives highlight the bayanihan spirit inherent in our QCitizens. The city government will therefore ensure that the organizers and beneficiaries of Community Pantries remain safe and unimpeded.”
The Bayan Muna party-list, Kilusang Mayo Uno, Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas, and other groups have also condemned the incident while speeding up the distribution of aid to 22.9 million Filipinos amid the lockdowns.
QC LGU ensures safety of community pantries after ‘red-tagging, profiling’
Former Vice President Jejomar Binay also slammed the said attacks on volunteers, who are only providing food for now.
It will be recalled that the said community pantries sprang up all over the Philippines to distribute free food while the residents who were very hungry and lost their jobs waited for help amid the community quarantine against COVID-19.
Only 40% of the aid is being given to Metro Manila according to the latest news from the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG).
Meanwhile, the leadership of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) admitted that they are monitoring the operators of the said groups, especially those on the Left who are allegedly running “for propaganda.”
It is not even illegal to be an activist or even a communist, according to the Constitution.
“We’re just checking itong background ng mga ‘to. Yes, chini-check ‘yan,” said NTF-ELCAC spokerperson Lt. Gen. Antonio Parlade.
“Habang nandoon sila sa community, meron silang propaganda na ginagawa. May sinasabi silang gutom ang mga tao dahil sa kapalpakan ng gobyerno, kung anu-ano pa,” he added.