Tuesday, April 20, 2021
Community pantry initiator fears for life after false red-tag claims
The woman who initiated a Quezon City community pantry, which spawned similar movements across the country, now expressed fear for her safety and her family following false claims that she has ties with the communists.
Community pantry initiator Ana Patricia Non on Tuesday said red-tagging also endangers the lives of the public relying on the aid.
In a press conference shared online, Non also dispelled allegations she has links to rebel groups.
“Para lang po malinaw, wala po. Tigilan na po natin ‘yung mga ganitong pambibintang kasi napaka-delikado po eh lalo na po sa panahon ngayon," Non said in a press conference.
(Just to be clear, I have no connections. Let's stop such accusations because they are very dangerous, especially these days.)
“Wala po akong links sa Communist Party [of the Philippines] and napaka … pasensya na po pero ang dumi po ng question na ‘yan kasi po last thing na kailangan ko pong i-explain sa mga tao kung ano ba ako, sino ba ako. Kasi, malinaw ang intensyon ko gusto ko lang na may mai-set-up na community pantry and makakain ‘yung mga tao … may maipantawid gutom,” Non said in response to a reporter's question.
(Honestly, I don't have any links to the Communist Party [of the Philippines] and I'm very sorry but that question is malicious because it's the last thing I need to explain to people what I am, who am I. Because, my intention is clear, I just want a community pantry to be set up and people can eat… something to alleviate hunger.)
The community pantry initiator said she also has no personal agenda at that her sole purpose is to help the people in need, especially during the pandemic. On Tuesday, she temporarily closed the Maginhawa community pantry despite pleas from hungry community members, due to security risks.
Non said many community pantries also saw harassment from authorities as they are members of progressive groups.
She also lamented red-tagging has discredited the efforts of community pantries and their bayanihan spirit.
"Dinidiscredit din po kasi kapag nire-redtag ‘yung community effort ‘yung tulong ng mga tao, ng mag volunteers. Hindi lang po basta ako ‘yung dinidiscredit niyo kundi ‘yung buong community pantry na nasa buong Pilipinas."
(It also discredits because when the community effort is red-tagged, the help of the people, of the volunteers. It's not just me you discredit but the entire community pantry in the whole Philippines.)
As of posting, there are around 200 community pantries all over the country, mostly set up by private or religious groups.
“Kung gusto po nilang itigil ‘yung community pantry … kung gusto na lang po nilang ipagpatuloy ‘yung red-tagging, sige po gawin niyo pero kaya niyo po bang pakainin at bigyan ng sapat na tulong ‘yung mga taong ‘to?" the community pantry initiator said.
(If they want to stop the community pantry … if they just want to continue the red-tagging, go ahead and do it but can you feed and give enough help to these people?)
"Kasi po kung hindi po kayo tutulong wala po kayong iaambag sa mga tao, hindi niyo po sila kikilalanin mas maganda pong huwag na lang po tayong magsalita ng mga ganitong bagay kasi po ilang pamilya po ‘yung naaapektuhan, hindi po ako eh,” she added.
(Because if you will not help, you can’t contribute to the people, you won't get to know them, it's better that we don't talk about such things because some families are affected.)
UP EDUCATION
Non said her being a graduate of the University of the Philippines could have been the basis of her critics.
“Pwede rin kasi siyang factor na tinitingnan nila na taga-UP ka, aktibista ka nung college, nag-council ka. Totoo po ‘yun na nag-council po ako nung college and pagkatapos po nun nag-trabaho na po ako sa iba’t ibang companies,” Non said.
(It can also be a factor that they consider that you are from UP, you were an activist in college, you were a councilor. It’s true that I was on a council in college and after that, I worked for various companies.)
“So pwede naman po ‘yun pero gusto ko rin pong ilinaw sa mga tao na kung hindi ko po natutunan ‘yung ganitong foundation sa UP and sa iba’t ibang organization ko … like mga organizing sa mga events, concerts kung ‘di ko po natutunan ‘yun baka ‘di ko pa na-set-up ‘yung community pantry,” she added.
(So that's okay but I also want to make it clear to people that if I haven't learned this kind of foundation at UP and in my various organizations… like organizing events, concerts if I haven't learned Maybe I haven't set up the community pantry yet.)
The fine arts graduate said that her experiences in college helped her to be compassionate.
“Malaki pong bagay ‘yung natutunan ko sa UP at sa communities po talaga kasi doon po talaga ‘yung foundation, ‘yung pakikibisita sa mga farmers, kahit saglit lang, kung paano kumausap sa mga tao kung paano ‘yung dapat simple ka lang, kinakamusta mo sila, pinakikinggan mo sila," she said.
(I learned a lot at UP and in the communities because the foundation is really there, visiting farmers, even for a moment, how to talk to people how to be simple, how are you them, you listen to them.)
Interior Secretary Eduardo Año earlier said that he has not ordered the Philippine National Police to look into community pantries.
The Quezon City Police District (QCPD) and the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict has also shared social media posts accusing community pantries of propaganda.
Meanwhile, in a statement, Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte said she has asked QCPD District Director Brig. Gen. Antonio Yarra to investigate Non's reported "apprehensions and earlier experiences."
Do The End Justify The Means?
Hold on to instruction, do not let it go; guard it well, for it is your life. Proverbs 4:13
A five-year-old Australian girl was “doing very well” after a heart-lung transplant in London, but her father halfway around the world in Melbourne wasn’t doing very well. Robert Edward Matthews, then aged 39, was apprehended for robbing a McDonald’s restaurant to help pay for the surgery which gave the promise of new life to his little girl. “I did it for Brooke,” said Matthews, “and I’d do it again,” he told the court.
The motive was right–the method was wrong. It’s a reflection of the way we think today. It reminds me of a clipping in my file telling about a bill that was introduced before an assembly of lawmakers to legalize prostitution and to provide licensing of houses and individuals “only upon satisfactory proof that the applicant is of good character.”
Not much different from the story of J. Edwin Orr, wherein Orr wrote about Mickey Cohen, who heard the Gospel and was alleged to have been converted but was disappointed that he could not be a Christian gangster.
It reminds me of a conversation in Lewis Carroll’s Through the Looking-Glass, where Humpty Dumpty and Alice are talking, and Humpty Dumpty says to Alice, “When I use a word, it means just what I chose it to mean, neither more nor less.” But Alice responds, “The question is whether you can make words mean different things.”
In one word, as I see it, the problem is PERSPECTIVE! That’s why a man can be concerned about paying his daughter’s hospital bill, and rob a restaurant to do it, and a prostitute can be considered a woman of good character, and a man who is a gangster and racketeer can consider himself to be a Christian. Man’s perspective as opposed to God’s.
“All a man’s ways seem innocent to him…” wrote the wise man in the book of Proverbs 16:2. Then he continued, “but motives are weighed by the LORD.” That’s where God comes into the picture, and no matter what you think about something, no matter how right it looks to you or how well it fits your logic, He has the final word.
“There is a way that seems right to a man,” says God’s Word, the Bible, “but in the end it leads to death” (Proverbs 16:25). That’s the difference between man’s wisdom and God’s wisdom.
If God has the final word in things, and He does, a wise man or woman tries to see life from His perspective. He looks at the genuine instead of the counterfeit. Ruth Graham once sat next to the director of the Bank of Scotland and the conversation drifted to counterfeiting, and she said, “I suppose you study counterfeit money a lot so you can spot the fake.” “No,” he replied, “we instruct our people to know the real thing.”
Get God’s point of view to learn to think straight–to help you understand what really counts–what lasts in an artificial world.
One more thing needs to be said to complete today’s commentary. Just where do you get God’s perspective? Not by reading the newspaper or checking out the astrological forecasts, or having some guru stir your coffee grounds with a divining rod. There is one book which gives God’s point of view. It is His Book, known as the Bible. As strange as it seems to some, the Bible makes sense. It has a divine wisdom that goes far beyond the superficial veneer of life today. At times, it painfully cuts across the trends of our day and convicts us of our shallowness and sinfulness. But there is one thing for sure–since He has the last word, we had better learn how He views life. The way which seems right to a man and which also leads to death is a marked contrast from the way to God. It’s worth learning about.
Resource reading: Proverbs 16:1-33
https://www.guidelines.org/devotional/do-the-end-justify-the-means/
2 arestado sa pagbibigay ng swab test kahit di lisensiyado
Dalawa ang inaresto ng National Bureau of Investigation dahil sa pagsasagawa ng home service na RT-PCR tests kahit sila hindi lisensiyado.
Nagkasa ng operasyon ang NBI matapos makatanggap ng sumbong mula sa isang pamilyang nagpa-test sa mga suspek. Nagduda raw kasi sila sa paraan ng pagsa-swab at wala ring ibinigay na resibo.
Nahuli ang mga suspek ng mga NBI agent na nagpanggap na magpapa-home service na swab test para sa halagang P3,500 kada test.
Inamin ng isa sa mga suspek na hindi siya lisensiyadong nurse, doktor o medical technologist para mag-swab. Ginawa lang umano niya ito dahil nangangailangan ng pera.
Ayon din sa Department of Health, hindi accredited ang mga suspek para magsagawa ng RT-PCR test.
Lumabas din sa imbestigasyon ng NBI na hindi konektado ang 2 sa laboratoryong idineklara nila.
Kinasuhan ang mga suspek ng estafa at falsification of private documents.
-- Ulat ni Niko Baua, ABS-CBN News
https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/04/20/21/2-arestado-swab-test-di-lisensiyado
Mga community pantry patuloy na nagsusulputan sa kabila ng red tagging
Ang dating tindahan na nagsara dahil sa pandemya ang ginawang community pantry sa Paco Church, Maynila.
Matapos ang blessing nitong Martes ng umaga, nag-umpisa nang pumila ang ilang mga residente para kumuha ng pagkain.
Napuno ang community pantry dahil sa dami ng nag-donate ng bigas, itlog, de-lata, noodles, gulay at iba pang pagkain.
Kabilang sa mga nag-donate ang 63 taong gulang na kasambahay na si Elisa Refuers. Sa kabila ng payak na pamumuhay, nagawa niyang magbigay ng 30 de-lata.
Naipon niya ito dahil sa buwanang food box galing sa LGU. Mag-isa lang daw siya sa bahay at may trabaho naman ang anak na nakabukod na kaya hindi siya nagdalawang-isip na ibigay ito sa nangangailangan.
"Iisa lang naman po ako, hindi ko kayang ubusin 'yun. Kaninang umaga nakita ko sa Facebook, meron na daw dito sa Paco," aniya.
Umuwi si Refuers na may dalang isang pirasong sayote. Igigisa niya raw ito sa sardinas pag-uwi.
"Ito lang naman ang kailangan ko. Kasi may repolyo sa bahay, lagyan mo ng sardinas ulam na. Sabi ko pag meron ako ulit naipon, dadalin ko ulit dito," ani Refuers.
Malaking tulong naman ang community pantry para sa katulad ni Janet Oarde, housewife at may 5 anak. Ang kanyang mister, pa extra-extra lang sa trabaho.
Kumuha siya ng isang kilong bigas, 2 de-lata, 3 itlog, noodles at sabon. Sapat na raw ito sa kanilang pamilya.
"Hindi naman po kailangan na lahat 'yan kunin ko para sa amin. Kasi may mga tao rin pong nagugutom hindi lang kami," ani Oarde.
Ayon sa parish priest ng Paco Church na si Fr. Rolando dela Cruz, bago pa tumama ang pandemya, matagal na silang tumutulong sa mga nangangailangan, pero na-inspire sila sa inumpisahan ni Ana Patricia Non na graduate ng Paco Catholic School noong 2012 at siyang pasimuno ng Maginhawa community pantry.
Plano nila Dela Cruz na maglabas ng schedule ng pagpunta sa community pantry simula sa susunod na linggo para sa halos 900 mahihirap na pamilya sa kanilang parokya.
Sa Malolos, Bulacan, nakalikom ng sariling pondo ang mga kabataan para mag-umpisa ng bayanihan.
Sa Tabaco City, Albay, iba't ibang klase ng gulay gaya ng kalabasa, upo, kamatis at sigarilyas ang makukuha sa community pantry sa Bongabong na nasa ikalawang araw na ngayon.
Nakarating din sa Cagayan de Oro ang community pantry. Itinayo ito ni Rene Principe, isang physics instructor sa UP Diliman.
Patuloy ang pagsulpot ng community pantries kahit pa naging biktima ng red tagging ang organizers nito.
—Ulat ni Jerome Lantin, ABS-CBN News
https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/04/20/21/community-pantry-patuloy-nagsusulputan-red-tagging
Red tagging ng Maginhawa community pantry kinondena, ikinababahala
Napilitang isarado ang Maginhawa community pantry sa Quezon City nitong Martes dahil sa red tagging at profiling laban sa organizers nito.
Napilitan si Ana Patricia Non na pansamantalang huwag munang buksan ang Maginhawa community pantry dahil nangangamba siya sa kaligtasan ng volunteers nila. Kabi-kabila kasi ang mga pag-atake at pag-uugnay sa kanila sa komunistang pakikibaka.
Kasama sa mga nangred-tag umano ang Quezon City Police District (QCPD) at ang National Task Force Ending Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC).
Inaakusahan nilang may kaugnayan sa mga komunista at may politikal na motibo umano ang pamamahagi ng pagkain ng community pantries.
"Kung pagbigay ng pagkain lang ang tunay na pakay nyo, bakit may kailangang pang dugtong na patalsikin ang isang pangulong nahalal nang ayon sa ating Saligang Batas na suportado at pinagkakatiwalaan ng nakararami sa atin?" ani NTF-ELCAC spokesperson Lorraine Badoy.
Pero dahil hindi agad naikalat ang impormasyong sarado ang Maginhawa community pantry, bago pa magbukang-liwayway ay mahaba na ang pila ng mga tao.
May mga taong bumalik para kumuha ng pagkain at meron ding unang beses sumabak sa pila.
Bakas sa mukha ng mga tao ang lungkot at pangamba lalo't may ibang hindi alam kung saan kukuha ng ipapakain sa mga naghihintay nilang kapamilya.
"Hindi pa kami umuuwi kasi nagbabakasakali pa kami na baka maawa sila sa 'min, baka bigyan kami pangsaing kasi wala na kami isasaing mamaya," ani Virginia Vinluan.
Sinabi naman ni Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte na iniimbestigahan na niya ang insidente at suportado niya ang mga community pantry na itinatayo sa lungsod.
KONDEMNASYON
Ilang personalidad naman ang nagpahayag ng pagkondena sa red tagging na ginawa sa community pantries.
"Is the government so threatened by the idea of people sharing what they have with the poor and hungry that it is now harassing and red-tagging community pantries? Kung sapat ang ayuda, wala sanang community pantries," sabi ni dating Vice President Jejomar Binay.
"We are deeply enraged and alarmed over reports of police intimidation and profiling of organizers of community pantries, which have sprouted in various areas in the absence of a comprehensive and sufficient cash aid program by the Duterte regime," sabi ng Gabriela party-list.
"Community pantries are Bayanihan in action and in spirit. Leave them be. Leave them alone. They are not violating any laws. Their Bayanihan is an expression of the sovereign will of the Filipino people. The organizers of and donors to community pantries are civic-minded, charitable, good samaritans," ani ACT-CIS party-list Rep. Jocelyn Tulfo.
"Why are you terrorizing those showing solidarity and concern for our poor people? Kasalanan na ba ang pagiging gutom dahil sa kapabayaan ng pamahalaan? Krimen na ba ang pagtulong sa mga nagugutom na mga kababayan natin?" tanong naman ni Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate.
"Hindi na nga sila tumutulong pero namemerwisyo pa. Nangre-red tag pa. Sila po ang mapapahiya sa ating mga kababayan. Sila 'yung nakikitang walang tinutulong pero sila pa 'yung nakikitang naninira," ani Kilusang Mayo Uno secretary general Jerome Adonis.
"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," sabi ni Commission on Human Rights spokesperson Jacqueline de Guia.
Matapos ang pagbatikos, humingi na ng paumanhin ang QCPD at sinabing handa silang makipagtulungan sa community pantries.
"The QCPD expresses sincere apology particularly to the affected party for the inconvenience that the inadvertent post could have caused and reassured of her safety and protection. We are now reaching out with the organizer/outlet manager as the QCPD is very much willing to support the noble cause especially in this time of pandemic."
Sa kabila ng isyu, patuloy pa rin ang paglaganap ng community pantries sa iba't ibang lugar sa bansa.
Sabi ni Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra, hindi na dapat pinakikialaman pa ang mga organizer ng community pantry lalo't pagtulong naman ang layunin nito.
"A person voluntarily doing an act of kindness and compassion toward his neighbor should be left alone. It is not proper for law enforcement agents to interrogate him unless there is reason to believe that he is violating any law, ordinance, rule or regulation for the good or welfare of the community," ani Guevarra.
—Ulat nina Jervis Manahan at Mike Navallo, ABS-CBN News
Ex-DFA chief to Duterte: Reject war narrative in defending West PH Sea
Former foreign affairs secretary Albert del Rosario on Tuesday urged President Rodrigo Duterte to stop using the "narrative of war" in defending the West Philippine Sea as there are other ways the country could assert its rights in the disputed area.
Del Rosario, who led the Philippines' arbitration bid against Chinese incursions that culminated in victory in 2016, made the remark after the President reiterated his belief that defending the country's rights in the West Philippine Sea would only lead to bloodshed and violence.
The area covers the Philippines' exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in the South China Sea, which China claims in near entirety.
The disputed area is a major trade route believed to hold valuable oil and gas deposits.
The former top diplomat said that war is not an option for the country when it comes to such matters, following Chinese President Xi Jinping's threat that there would we war should the country insist on its arbitral win.
"We respectfully urge the President to reject this Chinese narrative of war, because it is intended to scare countries to submit to China’s will of illegally occupying the South China Sea," he said.
When Duterte invoked the 2016 arbitral win invalidating China's historical nine-dash line claim during the United Nations (UN) General Assembly last year, China did not wage a war, Del Rosario said.
"We do not see a war being waged by China against us. This should have put to rest the utterly inane notion that invoking the Arbitral Ruling and standing up for our rights are equivalent to waging war against China," he added.
China, however, has refused to honor the ruling, instead ramping up island-building and militarization activities in the waters.
Del Rosario's statement came amid China's incursions in Julian Felipe Reef, also called Whitsun Reef, in the West Philippine Sea.
Demands of Filipino officials for Beijing to withdraw its maritime fleet in the reef prompted the country's allies, such as US and Japan, to voice out their concerns on China's incursion there, with other countries "formally supporting" the 2016 ruling, he pointed out.
"In the past few days, we managed to pressure China to disperse its vessels in Julian Felipe... Reef, not through war or bloodshed, but through the courageous assertion of our rights by our officials and soldiers," Del Rosario said.
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) had earlier demanded the withdrawal of Chinese ships in the waters, calling it illegal.
Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin, Jr. also vowed to file diplomatic protests every day until the last Chinese ship from the reef is gone.
COVID-19 vaccines na pinayagan ang gamit sa Pilipinas nadagdagan
Umabot sa 6 ang brand ng COVID-19 vaccines na puwedeng magamit sa Pilipinas matapos aprubahan ng Food and Drug Administration ang emergency use authorization (EUA) ng 2 pang bakuna.
Sinabi noong Martes ng Food and Drug Administration na binigyan na nito ng EUA ang bakunang Janssen ng American company na Johnson & Johnson at Covaxin ng Bharat Biotech mula India.
Bago nito, nauna nang mabigyan ng EUA ang mga bakuna ng Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Sputnik V at Sinovac.
Pero nilinaw ni FDA Director General Eric Domingo na sa ngayo'y conditional muna ang authorization na ibinigay sa Covaxin.
"May isang papel pa po sila na kailangan i-submit sa amin bago mag-import ng bakuna," ani Domingo.
Para naman ma-roll out ang Janssen, kailangan maglabas ng guidelines ang Department of Health (DOH).
Ito'y dahil sa isinasagawang imbestigasyon ng FDA sa Amerika tungkol sa mga ulat ng umano'y clotting o pamumuo ng dugo.
"They are investigating kasi parang 1 for every million na nabakunahan, mayroon silang ini-investigate na possible clotting na adverse event. So we told the DOH na bago i-roll out ito, kailangan gumawa ng very clear guidelines," sabi ni Domingo.
Ayon sa DOH, kahit may mga naitalang mga adverse events matapos mabakunahan, karamihan sa mga ito ay non-serious.
Kabilang sa adverse events na naobserbahan sa mga nakatanggap ng Sinovac ay pagtaas ng presyon, pananakit ng ulo, pananakit ng lugar na tinurukan, pagkahilo at rashes.
Sa AstraZeneca, naobserbahan naman ang pagkakaroon ng lagnat, pananakit ng ulo, pananakit ng lugar na tinurukan, panginginig, at panghihina.
Headache, fever common complaints among Filipinos after COVID-19 vaccination: DOH
Nauna nang sinabi ng mga eksperto na karaniwan naman na may ganoong mararamdaman matapos mabakunahan, at madalas ay mild lang ito at nawawala rin.
Sa kabila nito, masusi pa ring binabantayan ang lahat ng ire-report na adverse event.
Sa ngayon, wala nang nakabinbin na aplikasyon para sa EUA ang iba pang bakuna.
Hindi pa nagpapasa ng aplikasyon ang Sinopharm mula China habang posibleng sa third quarter ng taon pa mag-apply ang Novavax.
Bagaman hinihintay pang mag-apply ang bakuna ng Moderna, sinabi ni Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose Manuel Romualdez na maaaring asahan ang pagdating ng Moderna vaccines sa Hunyo.
"Ikinonfirm sa akin ng Moderna na they will start delivery starting June 15. That is the target date. It would start increasing in the succeeding months... they will complete the 20 million before the end of the year," ani Romualdez.
-- Ulat ni Raphael Bosano, ABS-CBN News
https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/04/20/21/covid-19-vaccines-pinayagan-pilipinas-nadagdagan
Total COVID-19 cases among Filipinos abroad now at 18,160 with 19 new cases
The number of Filipinos abroad who have contracted COVID-19 rose to 18,160 Tuesday as 19 new cases were recorded, the Department of Foreign Affairs said.
The DFA also reported 13 new recoveries and 6 new fatalities. The day's tally of new cases, recoveries and deaths is the highest since April 17.
The number of Filipinos currently being treated abroad for the disease is at 5,877, as 11,162 of those infected have recovered, while 1,121 have died.
There are currently 91 countries/territories with Filipinos stricken with COVID-19.
Those undergoing treatment are broken down as follows by region: 1,057 in the Asia Pacific, 911 in Europe, 3,828 in the Middle East and Africa, and 81 in the Americas.
In the Philippines, COVID-19 has so far sickened 953,106 people. The tally includes 16,141 deaths, 809,959 recoveries, and 127,006 active cases.
The new coronavirus is believed to have first emerged in the central Chinese city of Wuhan in late 2019.
Variants of the virus have since emerged in the United Kingdom, South Africa, Brazil and the Philippines.
Data from US-based Johns Hopkins University showed that more than 142 million people globally have contracted COVID-19, with the United States, Brazil, India, France, and Russia leading countries with the most number of cases.
More than 3 million have died worldwide because of the disease, while some 81.3 million already recovered.
DOJ: Law enforcers, 'di dapat basta-basta nagi-interrogate ng community pantry volunteers
Naniniwala ang Department of Justice (DOJ) nitong Martes na hindi tama ang basta-bastang pagsasagawa ng interrogation ng mga law enforcement agencies sa mga volunteers ng community pantries sa bansa.
Ang naturang pantry ay isang inisyatibo na namimigay ng libreng gulay, pagkain, at suplay sa mga taong nangangailangan nito. Bukas din ito sa mga donasyon.
Ayon kay Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra, hindi dapat nagsasagawa ng interrogation maliban na lamang kung mayroong nalalabag na batas o ordinansa ang mga organizer.
"Suffice it to say that a person voluntarily doing an act of kindness and compassion toward his neighbor should be left alone," paliwanag ni Guevarra.
"It is not proper for law enforcement agents to interrogate him unless there is reason to believe that he is violating any law, ordinance, rule or regulation for the good or welfare of the community," aniya.
Martes ng madaling araw nang sinabi ni Ana Patricia Non, ang pioneer organizer ng community pantry sa Maginhawa, Quezon City, na may mga miyembro ng kapulisan na nanghihingi ng kanyang contact number at tinatanong kung ano ang organisasyon niya.
Dahilan din daw ang "red-tagging" para itigil pansamantala ang community pantry sa Maginhawa, na pinilahan ng daan-daang residente roon na naghihikahos ngayong pandemya.
Pero dahil may mga naniniwalang profiling na ang nangyayari sa pagbibigay ng mga forms sa mga organizer ng mga community pantry, naniniwala si Guevarra na walang obligasyon ang mga organizer na sagutan ang naturang forms.
“Organizers of community pantries have no legal duty nor are under any compulsion to fill out any forms, as these are not considered business, much less illegal activities. so the presence of lawyers at the sites, in my opinion, is unnecessary," dagdag ni Guevarra.
Hindi naman direktang sinagot ng kalihim ang tanong kung may paglabag sa right to privacy ng isang indibidwal sa pagpapasagot ng mga pulis sa ibinibigay nilang mga form sa mga nasa likod ng mga community pantry.
“I will not answer your question directly as I may prejudge an actual case that may come before the DOJ," sabi niya.
Una nang kumalat sa social media ang mga larawan ng umano’y profiling ng mga pulis sa mga nag-organisa ng community pantry.
Hinihingi umano nila ang mga impormasyon kung sino ang nagpasimula ng naturang inisyatibo at kung saan o kaninong organisasyon daw sila kabilang.
Binigyang-diin naman ni Interior Secretary Eduardo Año na walang iniutos ang kanyang ahensya kaugnay sa pagkuwestiyon sa mga community pantries, pero pinaalalahanan niya ang mga organizer na sundin ang minimum health protocol kontra COVID-19.
- May ulat ni Johnson Manabat, ABS-CBN News
https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/04/20/21/doj-community-pantry-interrogation
Duterte calls for 'complete abolition' of kafala system for migrant workers
President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday called for the "complete abolition" of the "kafala" sponsorship system, which he said places migrant workers "in the most vulnerable situation."
Commonly practiced in Arab countries, the kafala system requires migrant workers to have a sponsor in the host country so that a visa and worker's permit can be issued. This means that foreigners' right to work is dependent on their employers, making them vulnerable to abuse.
The kafala system has led to non-payment of wages, restriction of workers' movement, denial of health care, "perpetual exploitation," and "outright murder," Duterte said in a taped message during a forum on labor rights.
"We cannot justify the denial of basic human rights and the fundamental freedoms of any individual, regardless of status. That is why the Philippine government strongly calls for the complete abolition of the kafala system, sooner rather than later," Duterte said.
"The kafala system is unjust, exploitative. It places thousands of migrant workers, particularly household workers, in the most vulnerable situation— unseen, unheard and unable to defend their dignity as a human being," he added.
The COVID-19 pandemic "has exposed migrant workers, especially those under the kafala system, to even more precarious position," he said.
"As the world went into lockdowns, many were driven into destitution, with no job, no social safety nets, and no money to send back home. This cannot go on," said the President.
"We must address the structural inequalities. Our pandemic responses must be inclusive, with no room for any of this discrimination."
Duterte said he welcomes the reform initiatives of Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, and Bahrain.
"As I have said before, the Filipino is not a slave to anyone, anywhere. I dream of the day when working abroad becomes a choice, and not a need," said Duterte.
"But while this remains a vision the Philippines strongly advocates, [and] works with all partners to realize the global impact of safe, orderly and regular migration."
The Philippines has around 2.2 million migrant workers, whose remittances serve as lifeline to the Philippine economy, according to 2019 government data.
Saudi Arabia is the most preferred destination of overseas Filipino workers, who represent 22.4 percent of OFWs. The United Arab Emirates follows, hosting 13.2 percent of OFWs.
CHR slams 'shameful' red tagging, profiling of community pantry organizers
QCPD apologizes for "inadvertent post" regarding Non
The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) said Tuesday it was "concerned" that organizers of community pantries are reportedly being subjected to "surveillance" and "red tagging" despite their laudable 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," CHR spokesperson Jacqueline de Guia said in a statement.
"The shameful and politicking actions of the few ideologically bent 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," she added.
The statement was issued following Ana Patricia Non's decision to temporarily halt operations of the Maginhawa community pantry after supposedly being linked to the communist movement.
"Notably, these government social media pages have shared graphics on their accounts linking the community pantry initiatives to the communist movement," the CHR noted.
The CHR urged law enforcers to exercise "prudent and lawful collection of data" after photos of police handing out forms that organizers need to fill out with their personal details went viral on social media.
"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," De Guia said.
The National Privacy Commission, in a separate statement, also emphasized that private data collection must be done "fairly and lawfully" as it was made aware about "concerns over alleged profiling of organizers" of community pantries.
"Today, we call on again the attention of the PNP Data Protection Office to look into these reports and take appropriate measures to prevent any doings of its personnel on the ground that could potentially harm citizens and violate rights," Privacy Commissioner Raymund Liboro said.
In a statement, the Quezon City Police District (QCPD) addressed their Facebook post red tagging Non, saying it was done "inadvertently."
"The QCPD expresses sincere apology particularly to the affected party for the inconvenience that the inadvertent post could have caused and reassured of her safety and protection. We are now reaching out with the organizer/outlet manager as the QCPD is very much willing to support the noble cause especially in this time of pandemic," they said.
Non set up the first community pantry in Maginhawa last week, and the concept was quickly picked up by several groups in other locations in the country
Bising slows down slightly, expected to exit PAR by Sunday
Typhoon Bising slowed down, as it moved northward over the Philippine Sea and is expected to weaken further after 24 hours, the state weather bureau said late Monday evening.
In its 11 p.m. weather bulletin, PAGASA said Bising was spotted 500 km east of Infanta town, Quezon at 10 p.m., packing maximum sustained winds of 185 kph near the center and 230 kph gusts while moving northward at 10 kph.
PAGASA projected Bising will continue to move northward or north northwestward until Wednesday night or Thursday early morning, before going northeastward throughout Thursday and east northeastward to eastward on Friday and Saturday.
The typhoon will maintain its strength in the next 12 to 24 hours before gradually slowing further, the weather bureau said.
Bising is expected to leave the Philippine area of responsibility on Sunday.
From Monday night to Tuesday, moderate to heavy with at times intense rains will fall in Bicol and Northern Samar. PAGASA said flooding, including flashfloods, and landslides are highly likely to occur in affected areas.
Due to Bising, the following areas were placed under tropical cyclone wind signal no. 2, where winds of up to 120 kph may be expected in at least 24 hours, which may cause old wooden electric posts to be tilted or downed:
LUZON
Catanduanes
the eastern portion of Camarines Sur (Sagnay, San Jose, Lagonoy, Garchitorena, Presentacion, Caramoan)
the eastern portion of Albay (Tiwi, Malinao, Tabaco City, Malilipot, Bacacay, Rapu-Rapu, Santo Domingo, Legazpi City, Manito)
the northeastern portion of Sorsogon (Sorsogon City, Gubat, Barcelona, Prieto Diaz)
VISAYAS:
extreme northwestern and eastern portions of Northern Samar (San Roque, Biri, Pambujan, Catubig, Laoang, Gamay, Lapinig, Palapag, Mapanas)
Storm signal no. 1, which may cause slight damage to some houses of very light materials or makeshift structures in exposed communities, was hoisted over the following areas:
LUZON
Batanes
Cagayan including Babuyan Islands
Isabela
Quirino
Apayao
eastern portion of Kalinga (Pinukpuk, Rizal, Tabuk City), the extreme eastern portion of Mountain Province (Paracelis)
extreme eastern portion of Ifugao (Alfonso Lista)
northern portion of Aurora (Baler, Dipaculao, Dinalungan, Casiguran, Dilasag)
eastern portion of Quezon (Calauag, Guinayangan, Tagkawayan, Buenavista, San Narciso, San Andres) including Polillo Islands
Camarines Norte
rest of Camarines Sur
rest of Albay
rest of Sorsogon
Masbate including Burias and Ticao Islands
VISAYAS
rest of Northern Samar
Samar
Eastern Samar
Biliran
northern portion of Leyte (Tabango, San Isidro, Calubian, Leyte, Capoocan, Carigara, Jaro, Pastrana, Palo, Barugo, Tunga, Alangalang, Santa Fe, Tacloban City, San Miguel, Babatngon, Dagami, Tabontabon, Tolosa, Tanauan)
More than 10,000 families in Catanduanes evacuated a day before Bising hit the island that's no stranger to storms. A resident in Virac town was electrocuted while repairing his roof. He was the only reported injured resident in the province.
The number of evacuees was unusually high because they are used to staying in their homes, despite the heavy downpour, instead of evacuation centers.
https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/04/20/21/bising-slows-down-slightly-expected-to-exit-par-by-sunday
Duterte pleased with pace of vaccination rollout in PH
By Azer Parrocha
President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday lauded the pace of the country’s vaccination rollout, saying it is a proof that the government is doing its best to ensure that more Filipinos are protected against the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).
In a pre-recorded meeting with Cabinet members, Duterte said he was pleased with the report which showed that over 1.4 million vaccine doses have been administered to Filipinos since the vaccination drive kicked off on March 1, 2021.
Filipinos have so far been administered with either Covid-19 vaccines developed by China’s Sinovac Biotech Ltd. or British-Swede firm AstraZeneca.
Citing data from Bloomberg and Foreign Service Posts, vaccine czar Carlito Galvez said the Philippines ranked third in Southeast Asia in terms of Covid-19 vaccination after Indonesia and Singapore.
He said the Philippines also ranked 41st out of 173 countries that have started vaccinating, and 14th out of 47 countries in Asia.
“Maganda ang record natin (Our record is great) despite unfounded criticisms. The Philippines was able to get the upper berth, I said of the countries that are inoculated. Maganda and record niyan (Our record is great) to think people were almost in a quandary where to get the next vaccination,” Duterte said.
He acknowledged that the pace of the country’s vaccination rollout is not as fast as everyone would like, but noted that vaccinating more than 1 million people was already an accomplishment.
“Nakita mo naman hindi pala tayo yung pinaka mahina. Mataas nga yung atin (You see, we’re not the weakest. We’re high on the list),” he said.
The country’s high ranking, he said, showed that the government, especially Galvez, is working hard to get as many people vaccinated at the soonest possible time.
“It goes to show that we are really working very hard, especially Secretary Galvez, to get the vaccines here in the Philippines on time. Though it is not as fast as people would like to expect,” he said.
Despite delays in the arrival of Covid-19 vaccine doses, Duterte said Galvez’s performance is “more than acceptable”.
“It speaks well of the efforts of your office to at least come to a more than an acceptable performance in the matter of the fight against Covid,” he added.
Galvez, for his part, assured that more than 2 million Covid-19 vaccine doses are expected to arrive in the country this month, 4 million doses by May, and 7 to 8 million doses by June.
The Philippines aims to secure 148 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines from several companies to inoculate an initial 50 to 70 million Filipinos this year.