By Deighton Acuin

PHOTO: Daily Tribune

The organizers of community pantries should secure a permit from the local government units amid the threat of coronavirus pandemic, an official from the Department of Interior and Local Government said Tuesday.

“I think now they need [a] permit from the local, mayor, or the barangay. Una, paisa-isa lang yan. Ngayon kaso dinumog na ng tao, ibig sabihin wala nang control pati yung protocol ngayon ay na-violate na,” DILG Undersecretary Martin Diño told ANC.

Diño said while recognizing the efforts to organize pantries, the local governments must guide them to comply with the current COVID-19 safety protocols.

However, when asked about the alleged red-tagging against the organizers, he stressed the only concern is that the community pantries fail to adhere to social distancing to their constituents.

Earlier, Maginhawa Community Pantry organizer Anna Patricia Non announced in her Facebook account that the pantry will halt its operation amid safety concerns.

This was after the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) posted photos apparently tagging the initiatives to communist parties.

“Malungkot po dahil hindi muna maipapamahagi ang goods na inihanda namin buong maghapon dahil po sa #RedTagging na nagaganap. Magbigat sa pakirandam ko kasi maganda po ang intentions ko noong binuo ko ang #CommunityPantry at ilang araw na din po na napakaraming pinagsisilbihan nito at ganun din po ang tulong na dumadating,” Non said.

“Sigurado po maraming tao po ang pipila sa amin bukas pero kailangan po muna nila maghintay sa susunod na araw bago po ito maipamahagi. Lalo na po at nagkaproblema kanina ang ibang Community Pantry sa mga kapulisan,” she added.


RELATED ARTICLE: GMA News