A NEOPHYTE Metro Manila lawmaker on Wednesday expressed dismay against some officials imposing documentary requirements on individuals and groups organizing community pantries.

Quezon City Rep. Anthony Peter “Onyx” D. Crisologo, a vice-chairman of the House committee on human rights, noted that the imposition will not only unduly burden the organizers and obstruct their operation, but will also discourage others to do the same to help the hungry people.

“Sa halip na dagdagan ang pasanin ng mga organizers ng community pantry sa pagkuha ng permit para maisagawa ang kanilang pagtulong, dapat silang suportahan para maipagpatuloy ang kanilang magandang hangarin na bahagyang matugunan ang pangangailangan ng mga kababayan nating mahihirap,” Crisolo, a member of the Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (CMD) led by House Majority Leader and Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez as president.

Crisologo likewise urged the people to support the community pantries to ensure these will continue to operate to help the poorest of the poor in this time of coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19).

“In this time of crisis, it really feels good to help in whenever we can,” Crisologo said.

House Deputy Minority Leader and Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate said the more than one million COVID-19 cases in the Philippines is a clear evidence of the Duterte administration’s alleged gross negligence “in handling the pandemic, including its inadequate, inefficient and failed solutions.”

“Mahigit isang taon na nating nilalabanan ang pandemya, mahigit isang milyong na din ang nagka-COVID, patuloy pa itong tumataas pero palpak pa din ang mga solusyon ng administrasyong Duterte. Ito talaga ang mahirap dahil ang mga itinalaga na mamuno sa paglaban dito ay mainly mga dating militar at hindi mga medical and health experts. Mas masahol, parang pinagkikitaan pa ang pandemya dahil sa mga isyu ng ‘kickVacs’ sa procurement ng bakuna,” Zarate, a Davao-based lawmaker, alleged.

“With the still rising million cases, the most basic steps of free mass testing and pro-active and aggressive contact tracing are still wanting, among the apparent reasons for the upsurge in cases in the past months,” Zarate lamented.

“We have already explained for the nth time that mass testing does not mean that all Filipinos would be COVID tested; it only means that at least 120,000 COVID testing should be done per day in the whole country or at least concentrated testing in the NCR Plus bubble, which is the epicenter of the Philippine pandemic, and the other regions where infection are high,” Zarate explained.

“Up till now contact tracers are still lacking and the ratio of contacts to be traced per positive case should be 1:37. This would ensure that less COVID positive cases would get thru the net and be quarantined,” Zarate pointed out.

“The benefits and hazard pay for health workers should also be given now because they have been long overdue and our frontliners should be well compensated for their sacrifices and for them to continue what they are doing,” Zarate stressed.

“The current vaccine roll out is still below the rate compared to what was previously announced by the administration. It should also be fast tracked and officials should stop upending each other so that there would be no more delays,” Zarate said.

“Cash aid with the minimum of P10,000 should be given for those hit by the pandemic so Pres. Duterte should call for a special session of Congress so that this can be discussed as soon as possible. In the meantime community pantries should be supported and its organizers should not be red tagged,” he said.