The ‘community pantry’ of essential goods, which first emerged in Maginhawa Street, Quezon City with the purpose of aiding the community and fostering a shared mutual concern for one another, is a great initiative at a time when Filipinos need it the most. It is thus concerning that this initiative, as well as the other community pantries that have followed, are under the threat of profiling and surveillance by local law enforcement authorities and are subject to red-tagging across various accounts in social media.

Barely a week since the start of the Maginhawa Community Pantry, organizer Anna Patricia Non had to suspend the operation of the pantry in consideration of the safety of their volunteers and herself amidst the red-tagging of the community initiatives in some government social media pages. Notably, these government social media pages have shared graphics on their accounts linking the community pantry initiatives to the communist movement.

The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) has also received reports of local law enforcement agents subjecting organizers of community pantries to questions regarding their affiliations and now-viral photos on social media allegedly showing policemen handing out forms that organizers need to fill out with their personal details.

In this context, we remind the government, particularly local law enforcement officers, that collecting data, including the affiliation of community pantry organizers, is an encroachment upon the right to privacy of citizens and represents yet again an overreach and abuse of police power bereft of any statutory or legal basis. We echo the statement of National Privacy Commission Chairperson Raymund Liboro in calling for the prudent and lawful collection of data by the Philippine National Police. Furthermore, the Commission welcomes the statement of Quezon City Mayor Belmonte assuring support for the community pantry and the safety of the organizers.

In times of uncertainty, Filipinos have come together to help one another to overcome adversity. The community pantry is an example of the exemplary spirit of bayanihan to make-up for the gaps of government action in addressing the long-term adverse effects of the pandemic. The shameful and politicking actions of the few ideologically bent, however, has dimmed the hopes of many that have come to see the community pantries as means of sustenance to provide food for themselves and their families.

It the midst of despair, let not the actions of the few prevail. We must continue efforts to build trust between one another. In the end, let trust and peace among our communities prevail as we weather this pandemic. ###