PNP offers protection for Maginhawa community pantry organizer

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police (PNP) yesterday offered to provide protection to Ana Patricia Non, the organizer of the Maginhawa community pantry in Quezon City, after she revealed that she has been receiving death and rape threats.

“The PNP is ready to help Ms. Non, especially if there is a threat to her life. She may go to the nearest police station to report the threats she received and police officers will find out who has been issuing them,” PNP chief Gen. Guillermo Eleazar said in Filipino in a statement.

He also urged Non to get in touch with the PNP so that she could avail herself of law enforcement services.

Non, whose community pantry sparked a movement to help people in need across the country, said in a Facebook post that she decided to take a break from granting interviews as she has been receiving threats.

She also lamented that there have been fake food delivery bookings being made under her name.

Eleazar said among the angles they are looking into is the previous alleged red-tagging of Non, which she blames for the online threats she has been receiving.

Meanwhile, Sen. Grace Poe said yesterday that with a combined feeding budget of P10 billion, the Departments of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and Education (DepEd) can put up their own food pantries that can serve meals to millions of children in schools and day care centers this year.

Poe said the number of beneficiaries of the child feeding programs of the DSWD and DepEd could increase if the two agencies partner with nongovernment organizations.