Former Vice President Jejomar Binay (INQUIRER FILE)
MANILA, Philippines — Former Vice President Jejomar Binay on Tuesday slammed the red-tagging of community pantry organizers as he wondered if the government is threatened by the distribution of free vegetables and other basic goods.
“Takot ba ang gobyerno sa libreng gulay? Is the government so threatened by the idea of people sharing what they have with the poor and hungry that it is now harassing and red-tagging community pantries?” Binay said on Twitter.
“Kung sapat ang ayuda, wala sanang community pantries,” he added.
Takot ba ang gobyerno sa libreng gulay?
Is the government so threatened by the idea of people sharing what they have with the poor and hungry that it is now harassing and red-tagging community pantries?
Kung sapat ang ayuda, wala sanang community pantries. 1/2
— Jejomar C. Binay (@JojoCBinay) April 20, 2021
Community pantries started to sprout nationwide a few days after a small business owner in Quezon City set up the Maginhawa community pantry, a bamboo cart with donated food and other essential goods for those in need amid the pandemic.
“Sharing what we have with others is a Filipino trait. It is a Christian virtue. You cannot suppress what is innately Filipino and Christian,” Binay stressed.
“Hindi namimili ng binibigyan ng tulong ang community pantries. Lahat ay Pilipino na nangangailangan at napabayaan ng gobyerno,” he added.
The organizer of the Maginhawa community pantry recently said operations will be suspended amid red-tagging fears.
People visit the Maginhawa community pantry initiated by Ana Patricia Non on Thursday, April 15, 2021, at Teacher’s Village, Quezon City. Non says she set up the community pantry to help people who are badly affected by the pandemic (INQUIRER file photo / GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE)
Many netizens have also called out police officers allegedly profiling organizers of the community pantry projects in the city of Manila.
Now-viral photos on social media suggest that police officers showed up at some community pantries in Manila and supposedly subjected some organizers to many questions, including who is in charge of the initiative and whether they are affiliated with certain organizations.
Philippine National Police chief Gen. Debold Sinas, however, denied issuing orders for police officers to profile organizers of community pantries.