Malacañang came to the defense of the government's anti-communist task force after lawmakers considered defunding the agency over the remarks of its members that have sown fear among the organizers of the different community pantries in the country.
In his press briefing on Thursday, Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque Roque said the P19-billion budget of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) is aimed at the development of barangays cleared of communists so slashing their budget, as proposed by several senators, is not justified.
Roque issued the statement after several senators demanded that government funds presently allocated for the NTF-ELCAC are better spent on assistance for those affected by the coronavirus (COVID-19) lockdowns.
"Hindi naman po justified 'yan (That is not justified)," he said.
"Hayaan nating gawin nila ang katungkulan nila kung meron talaga silang opisyal na ginagawa diyan (Let us allow the NTF-ELCAC to perform their duties if they really have an official function concerning the community pantries)," he added.
Despite this, Roque said Malacañang was standing by its earlier statement welcoming the emergence of community pantries because they showcase the best of the Filipino character.
"Ang general policy po natin, we welcome these community pantries, lahat ng nakakatulong sa ating mga kababayan (Our general policy is we welcome these community pantries and all other initiatives that can help our fellowmen)," he said.
"We think, and I will repeat it, na itong mga (that these) community pantries represent the best of the Filipino in the worst of times," he added.
Senators Sherwin Gatchalian and Joel Villanueva are now considering cutting the budget of the NTF-ELCAC after its spokesman Lt. Gen. Antonio Parlade Jr. red-tagged organizers of the community pantries, particularly the one in Maginhawa, Quezon City.
The move of the senators came after Parlade, in an interview, likened Ana Patricia Non, the organizer of the Maginhawa Community Pantry to Satan.