The Quezon City resident who started the “community pantry” on Maginhawa Street decried on Tuesday the red-baiting done by police, which has halted the relief drive.
In a Zoom webconference streamed on Facebook Live, Ana Patricia Non said she was subjected to profiling, with police even asking for her contact information online.
“Ang pinaka kinalungkot ko po sa nangyari and alarming na siya, pinost po ng QCPD (Quezon City Police District) sa Facebook official page po, na ang community pantry parang propaganda po ng communist party,” Non said.
Non said she had talked to Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte who swiftly ordered an investigation into the police actions.
She said her being an activist when she was studying in the University of the Philippines (UP) was a non-issue.
“Gusto ko rin po na ilinaw sa mga tao na kung hindi ko natutunan ang ganitong foundation sa UP and sa mga iba’t ibang organization ko and even sa course ko kahit yung mga events, concerts sa UP, kung hindi ko po natutunan `yun, baka hindi ko po na set up yung community pantry,” she said.
“Request ko lang po na wag nilang masamain and hindi po masama ang aktibista,” she added.
Non said the government was not doing enough to meet the needs of Filipinos subjected to a series of quarantines since March last year.
“Kahit hirap `yung panahon ngayon, parang ito yung sinasabi nung mga tao na salamat kasi parang nabuhayan sila ng loob tumulong, gusto nilang tumulong, ngayon lang nagkavenue tumulong, and natigil pa,” she said.
“Hindi naman pipila yung mga tao ng mahaba kung sapat na `yung nakukuha nila,” she said. H.B. Oledan