The apology of the head of the police's Human Rights Affairs Office to community pantry organizers is a proof that the Philippine National Police (PNP) has no policy of harassing them amid allegations of police intimidation before that prompted some of them to stop their operation.
PNP chief Gen. Guillermo Lorenzo Eleazar reiterated that the organization has never sanctioned a profiling of community pantry organizers who have been selflessly offering help to those in need and fostering the Bayanihan spirit.
The Chief of the PNP-HRAO, Police Brig. Gen. Vincent Calanoga, said in a congressional hearing last Wednesday that the allegations on police profiling are already under investigation and being acted upon. He later apologized to the community pantry organizers who felt threatened or intimidated by the actions of some police officers.
“It takes real courage to apologize especially for men and women in uniform. There is honor in that at lalo lang akong pinahanga ng ating HRAO director sa kanyang ginawa (and it only made me admire the our HRAO director),” said PGen. Eleazar.
"to ay isa lang patunay na walang masamang intensyon ang inyong PNP at ito rin ay magsisilbing mensahe sa lahat ng ating kapulisan na siguraduhin lang na nasusunod ang minimum health safety protocol sa community pantries at tumulong kung kinakailangan (This is a proof that the PNP has no bad intention and this also serves as a message to our personnel that their focus is on ensuring that minimum health safety protocol in community pantries are followed and that they should help if needed)," he added.
Some community pantries, including the Maginhawa Community pantry in Quezon City which is considered as the mother of all community pantries in the Philippines, were forced to stop their operation after policemen started visiting and asking them questions.
Eleazar urged community pantry organizers who felt harassed, intimidated or threatened by police personnel to immediately file a complaint: “Makaka-asa kayo na agad po nating aaksyunan ang inyong mga reklamo (Rest assured that we will act on your complaints immediately).”