The National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) on Wednesday, May 19, questioned Patricia Non’s photo with a raised clenched fist; and it drew flak from Netizens and personalities.
According to one of the newly-appointed NTF-ELCAC spokesperson, Undersecretary Severo Catura, civilians were the ones who brought Non’s photo to their attention.
“Tao po ang nagreklamo, hindi gobyerno…. Ni-raise nila ang issue na tumaas ang kamao,” said Catura during the hearing on community pantries led by the House committee on human rights.
However, Kabataan Representative Sarah Elago did not like Catura’s comment.
“Malaya po ang ating kababayan as long as hindi gumagawa ng krimen. Dahil lang may litrato siya na nakataas-kamao, ibig sabihin ba natin na binibigyan natin ng katwiran [ang red-tagging]?” Elago questioned the suspicion.
Elago was backed up with personalities and Netizens as well.
Over twitter–they condemned the ability of the Government’s anti-insurgency task force to distinguish terrorists.
Columnist Tonyo Cruz questioned how a raised fist can imply an individual being an insurgent.
WHAT’S WRONG WITH A RAISED FIST? pic.twitter.com/7QNUss3s8J
— Tonyo Cruz (@tonyocruz) May 19, 2021
A twitter personality used a reversed card at Catura for raising concerns about Non’s raised fist.
He used the President as an example who is not being investigated on the same gesture.
So one of NTF-ELCAC spokesperson- Severo Catura raised concern over a photo of Ana Patricia Non raising her fist.
What can you say about Duterte raising his fist?
Anong kababawan ito?
Anong katangahan ito?
Anong kabobohan ito?#DefundNTFELCAC pic.twitter.com/2f6EHRh2OB— Ryan (@rryyyaaaannnn) May 19, 2021
A netizen is disappointed in the inability of the task force to do its job.
She said that taxpayers’ money is going to waste for such nonsense.
Ang laki ng sweldo na kinikita niya mula sa buwis ng mamamayan para lang magpalaganap ng ganitong kabulastugan https://t.co/DEiG8nrARs
— Lakan (@jacques_lakan) May 19, 2021
Women’s rights advocate Elizabeth Angsioco irked at NTF-ELCAC’s lack of sensibility.
She also pointed that the task force, with such a sensitive role, fails in its responsibility by making the agency a ‘danger’ to everyone.
Can’t we expect anything sensible from NTF-ELCAC officials? You have a sensitive job but your pronouncements are not only insensitive, they’re outrageous but dangerous. https://t.co/NBIqF5vhxa
— elizabeth angsioco (@bethangsioco) May 19, 2021
Irritated at how shallow the NTF-ELCAC in identifying insurgents, that’s how a netizen felt.
With a simple photo, Non is red-tagged and accused of being part of a communist.
Ganito na kababa. Picture lang, naredtag na. Pero Sa bagay, mag fist bump lang, tabogo na agad eh. Yun totoo talaga yun. Haha https://t.co/4OJvLy4Tu1
— King (@KingNginamo1) May 19, 2021
Former COMELEC commissioner Goyo Larrazabal even called NTF-ELCAC’s line of reasoning “idiotic.”
This is already idiotic.
There… I said what many were thinking. https://t.co/c5aXvkqbGu
— Goyo Y. Larrazabal (@GoyoYLarrazabal) May 19, 2021
Other twitter personalities even turned it into a meme as they used photos of Duterte and Pope Francis to line up with NTF-ELCAC’s logic about a communist’s trademark—raised fists.
tAtaY DiGoNg kUmOnEsTa https://t.co/P5nEiMZRsx pic.twitter.com/xKKMlpy0lo
— jp✖️ plus why (@dumidyeypee) May 19, 2021
HALA PATI ANG SANTO PAPA https://t.co/7vXVKU28uP pic.twitter.com/Ad3bdFUFR9
— Demontitang Aczar mrsunlawyer@mas.to (@mrsunlawyer) May 19, 2021
Non, who organized the Maginhawa Community Pantry and the one, who started people’s ‘communal’ movement, has become a constant target of rape and death threats.
A Marikina community pantry got profiled by the police, while a Tacloban pantry got red-tagged in a radio show.
But not all seemed lost for community pantries.
The Philippine National Police Human Rights Affairs Office (PNP-HRAO) chief Brig. Gen. Vincent Calanoga apologized to community pantry organizers and assured them that PNP (Philippine National Police) does not orchestrate profiling and red-tagging.
“Yong iba pong insidente na kung saan tinawag po na profiling o red-tagging ay hindi po sakop ng pulisya, ng buong PNP. Ito po ay binigyan ng kaukulang aksyon para hindi na po ito mauulit.
“Sa mga naapektuhan po, humihingi po ang PNP-HRAO ng paumanhin,” he apologized.
