Community Pantry organizer Ana Patricia Non is seriously considering filing formal criminal charges over what she aptly referred to as “fake news” posted by the government’s anti-insurgency task force mouthpiece on social media.
Non, who organized the prototype community pantry along Maginhawa Street in Quezon City, has strongly denied the national government’s anti-insurgency task force spokesperson Lorraine Badoy’s Facebook post dragging her as a conduit of the communist insurgents.
Interviewed over the radio, Non said that she initially wasn’t planning on pressing charges against Badoy, adding that the government’s anti-insurgency task force spokesperson would just be a distraction to what she’s been doing.
“Sa totoo lang, ayaw ko bigyan ng attention si Miss Lorraine kasi fake news na fake news ang post. Ayaw ko pong patulan kasi gusto ko mag-focus sa community pantry. Lahat ng information, walang tumama po,” Non said.
However, after consultation with lawyers and friends working with her at the Maginhawa community pantry, she realized it’s not just right for her to allow Badoy do the same thing to others who only wanted to help the needy.
“Nagko-consult po ako sa mga lawyer natin. Marami pong nagpa-abot ng support na mga lawyer kasi nakikita po nila na hindi tama ‘yung ginagawa sa akin.”
In a Facebook post Wednesday night, Badoy categorically hinted at Non as a member of underground mass organization Artista at Manunulat ng Sambayanan (ARMAS).
The National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) spokesperson further claimed that Non started as council member of the University of the Philippines College of Fine Arts.
Non eventually headed Alay Sining and became national officer of Kabataang Artista Para sa Tunay na Kalayaan (Karatula), Badoy claimed.
Non refuted Badoy’s allegations, saying she is not a member of ARMAS, and neither is she an active member of Alay Sining organization.
She nonetheless admitted that she was part of the UP Fine Arts Council but their activities only involved concerts and feeding programs.
Non also denied Badoy’s “malicious” allegation on the fundraising initiatives, which according to her is an initiative taken by her sister living in the United States.
Interestingly, Non’s sister has replicated the community pantry program in the US where she provides free food to the homeless.
“Ito pong Paypal kaya niya ginawa kasi marami siyang friends from US and ‘yung international support na nagtatanong ng way ng padalhan,” Non said.
Non also dismissed another Badoy claim that food recipients were given flyers urging the public to stand against the government.
Earlier this week, Non announced the temporary closure of the Maginhawa community pantry after the supposed profiling and red-tagging of the food-sharing initiative. It resumed the next day after the city government promised to protect her.
NTF-ELCAC has also posted graphics on its Facebook page apparently linking community pantry initiatives to the communist movement. Its spokesperson, Lieutenant General Antonio Parlade, confirmed that they are doing background checking on the community pantry organizers but denied red-tagging.