KINONDENA ng mga senador ang red-tagging o pag-uugnay sa community pantries sa iba’t ibang panig ng bansa sa komunistang grupo.

Sinabi ni Senate President Vicente Sotto III na nahihihirapan ang gobyerno sa pamimigay ng ayuda kaya’t hindi na dapat pahirapan ang ibang nais tumulong.

“Government is having difficulty in distributing help, why make it more difficult for others to help? I don’t believe this!,” saad ni Sotto.

Ipinaalala naman ni Senador Nancy Binay na gutom ang kalaban at hindi ang mga tumutulong.

“Ang kalaban ay gutom, hindi ang tumutulong! Di na ba pwedeng tumulong sa kapwa? Di na ba pwedeng magsalita ng iyong saloobin? When common people collectively band together to help those who are in need; when volunteers offer a selfless act of serving the people; and when ordinary Filipinos put up community pantries as a pure form of generosity–I don’t see them as enemies of the state, but as champions who have genuine compassion for our people,” saad ni Binay.

“My heart goes to Patreng (Ana Patricia Non), who has been maliciously red-tagged for having a heart for the poor.

Ganyan na ba ka-paranoid na pati ang pagtulong sa kapwa ay minamasama? Anong ambag n’yo?” dagdag nito.

Iginiit naman ni Senador Ralph Recto na dapat tulungan pa ng gobyerno ang mga community pantries o food bank at huwag nang pahirapan pa ang tao sa pagbibigay ng tulong dahil sadyang marami ang nangangailangan.

Nabahala rin si Senador Panfilo Lacson sa red-tagging sa mga taong nasa likod ng humanitarian act na ipinaalala nitong aksyon dahil sa pagiging desperado.

“The only similarities between community pantries and communism are the first seven letters, ano. “Communi.” Aside from the seven letters, wala akong makitang similarity because these are purely humanitarian acts from some of our countrymen who wanted to you know, whether they are subliminally relaying a message to the government that they should do better than what they are doing in addressing the pandemic,” diin ni Lacson.

“I think that (red-tagging) should stop and the government should encourage some more. There are health protocols that should be followed pero dapat payagan natin,” dagdag nito.

Umapela naman si Senador Sherwin Gatchalian sa lokal at national government na huwag nang isama pa sa usaping pulitikal ang mga community pantries.

“Hindi dapat ginagawa itong negative political weapon. Ang mga ganitong klaseng noble effort ay mas maganda kung manatiling nasa pribadong kamay para walang pulitika, walang kulay,” diin ni Gatchalian.

Sinabi naman ni Senador Joel Villanueva na sa halip na paghinalaan ag mga community pantries ay dapat itong suportahan.

“I humbly appeal to our colleagues in government to help and support these pantries instead of asking the people to stay away from these. May I gently remind them that in times when food is scarce and aid is sporadic, it is the worst kind of

“social distancing advice” that could come from a public official,” diin ni Villanueva.(Dang Samson-Garcia)