MANILA – The National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) denied that it conducted “profiling” on the organizers of community pantries.
“We’re just checking kung ano ang ginagawa, anong sitwasyon sa community pantries na ito kasi hindi naman lahat ng community pantries ay initiated by one group or one individual,” NTF-ELAC spokesperson Lt. Gen. Antonio Parlade Jr. told ABS-CBN’s Teleradyo on Wednesday.
The checking done by the country’s anti-insurgency task force was mandated by the government, Parlade explained.
“Walang kailangan mag-utos sa’min kasi mandate ‘yan ng AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines), ng mga ahensiya ng gobyerno. Kailangan i-check [kung] may clearance, kung sumusunod ba sa policies,” said Parlade who is also the commander of AFP’s Southern Luzon Command.
Furthermore, he said that some netizens sent them a text message about placards with hashtags “#StopKillingFarmers.
“As much as possible tumulong na lang, ‘wag nang samahan ng politika, ng propaganda. Many of these pantries are doing exactly that,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) encouraged leftist organizations like Bayan Muna to set up their community pantry without interference from the government.
“If Bayan or Bayan Muna or any of these left-wing groups would like to conduct their community pantries, there would be no problem. Whatever they say during those community pantries, if they put up signs, are part of protected speech,” DILG undersecretary Jonathan Malaya said./PN
