The chief of the Philippine National Police – Human Rights Affairs Office has apologized to community pantry organizers who experienced profiling or red-tagging.
“Some of these incidents of so-called profiling or red-tagging are not covered by the police, by the entire PNP. We have taken action to ensure that these actions will not be repeated,” Brig. Gen. Vincent Calanoga, acting chief of the PNP-HRAO, said during a hearing of the House Committee on Human Rights.
“To those who were affected, the PNP-HRAO asks for your forgiveness for whatever may have been reported or posted on social media,” Calanoga added.
He said policemen patrolling the areas where community pantries are located are just monitoring the situation in their respective areas of responsibility.
“When policemen ask you, for example those who are roving, that is because they will include that in their patrol report. I hope our citizens also understand the job of our police,” Calanoga said.
Meanwhile, Cavite Rep. Crispin Remulla slammed organizers of community pantries for using social media to publicize their good works, saying such posts have been used to attack the government’s response to the health crisis.
“Helping those in need should be done sincerely without having other people know about it. Publicizing it will defeat the purpose of Bayanihan,” Remulla said.
“A good deed is no longer a good need when it already has a political agenda,” he added.
Gabriela party-list Rep. Arlene Brosas, however, defended community pantries, saying their activities should be publicized so the public will easily know where to get assistance.