National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon, Jr. issued a gag order against 2 spokespersons of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) for them not to give statements related to community pantries.
NTF-ELCAC spokespersons Lt. General Antonio Parlade Jr. and Lorraine Badoy received criticisms for allegedly red-tagging or linking people behind community pantries to communist rebels.
“Lest it be misunderstood, they will desist (from) making statements on community pantries,” said Esperon, the vice-chair of NTF-ELCAC.
Recently, the social media page of the NTF-ELCAC and Quezon City Police District (QCPD) posted an accusation that the organizer of Maginhawa Community Pantry, Ana Patricia Non, was a member of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army.
Badoy also said that donors should find out where the help or money they give to community pantries goes.
Parlade also called the senators stupid over the proposal to strip the NTF-ELCAC of the budget.
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Parlade, Badoy ordered to stop commenting about community pantries
According to Sen. Franklin Drilon, Parlade, who is also chief of the military’s Southern Luzon Command, should leave his post at NTF-ELCAC.
Under the law, no military officer can sit in a government position reserved for a civilian.
He also said Parlade should submit a quarterly report on how NTF-ELCAC spent the P19 billion allocated for anti-insurgency.
Esperon, on the other hand, appealed not to cut the budget of NTF-ELCAC, which is said to be almost devoted to the barangay development program to suppress rebellion and terrorism.
Meanwhile, QCPD has not yet submitted an explanation on the red-tagging and profiling done to the Convenient pantry organizer.
The Quezon City People’s Law Enforcement Board appealed to the police to cooperate in their investigation.
The Commission on Human Rights reiterated that the police have no right to take the private information of the organizers and volunteers of the community pantry.
Meanwhile, the Maginhawa community pantry has inspired many Filipinos inside and outside the country. In fact, the bayanihan has reached as far as Timor Leste.