Profiling, red-tagging of community pantry organizers draw flak from privacy body anew

THE National Privacy Commission (NPC) strongly condemned the unlawful profiling and red-tagging of community pantry organizers, noting that doing such leads to discrimination and stereotyping.

In a news statement on Thursday, Privacy Commissioner Raymund E. Liboro said the agency “denounces in the strongest terms any act of unjust profiling of community pantry organizers whom we consider heroes of this pandemic as this may violate their right to privacy.”

“We have always been firm in our stand that unjust profiling activities are unwelcome due to the risks it entails to our citizens, such as discrimination and stereotyping,” he added.

The privacy also has “grave concerns” over the statement of National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTFELCAC) Spokesman Lt. Gen. Antonio Parlade Jr. against Maginhawa community pantry organizer Ana Patricia Non.

Parlade, in a recent TV interview, likened the “selfless act” of Non to that of Satan’s, Liboro noted.

“Labels like these are unnecessary when the people are struggling to find every means to survive in this pandemic,” the privacy commissioner stressed.

Following the red-tagging controversies, several lawmakers issued a call to defund NTF-ELCAC. They said the P19-billion budget of the agency should be reallocated to pandemic relief funds instead.

Liboro lamented that the profiling activities were unjust given that community pantry organizers only wanted to extend help to the individuals currently struggling amid the pandemic.

“Despite this good intention, they [community pantry organizers] have been discouraged from continuing this activity because of red-tagging,” he said.

“It is during these trying times that we should not, by any means, fuel discrimination against anyone who has done nothing to deserve such. We must aim to build a united community driven by volunteerism with the genuine desire to help others and the needy,” Liboro said.

Earlier, NPC called on the Philippine National Police (PNP) to act on alleged profiling of community pantry organizers.

NPC urged the PNP Data Protection Office to investigate such reports and “take appropriate measures to prevent any doings of its personnel on the ground that could potentially harm citizens and violate rights.”