The Philippine National Police (PNP) clarified on Tuesday that they do not have any kind of profiling conducted on the organizers of community pantries.
This was followed by reports of community pantries visited by police.
In a statement, PNP Chief Gen Debold Sinas said there is no order for the police to profile because the volunteerism of private citizens is out of the interest of the PNP.
“There is no order from the National Headquarters to conduct any form of profiling of organizers of community pantries,” said Sinas.
“It is beyond the interest of the PNP to delve into purely voluntary personal activities of private citizens,” he added.
He said the police had no intention of interfering in the community pantries.
He said the PNP is only interested in ensuring public order and safety in the queue in the pantries to comply with the protocols against COVID-19.
On Tuesday, the pioneer community pantry in Maginhawa Street, Quezon City was forced to close due to red-tagging or linking its organizers to communist rebels even without proof.
Police also allegedly asked for the cellphone number and the organization the organizer belonged to, which she feared.
Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte is already investigating the red-tagging of the organizer of Maginhawa Community Pantry.
Sinas: PNP has no profiling on community pantry organizers
The mayor also insisted she supports community pantries.
Even the Department of the Interior and Local Government is investigating profiling the organizers, said Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya.
According to Malaya, they will find out if those who went around the community pantry are really police.
The community pantry started in Maginhawa, which has now spread to various parts of the country.
Although seen as an example of bayanihan, some critics of the government also say that the community pantry also reflects the government’s lack of response to the worsening hunger situation in the country now with the pandemic.
Meanwhile, a group of women was caught on CCTV taking every item of a community pantry in Pasig City.
The video shows the table full of various types of food in Barangay Kapitolyo when a group of six women arrived with eco-bags.
In a few moments, the community pantry table was empty.