By: Beatrice Pinlac – @inquirerdotnetINQUIRER.net /May 24, 2022
“Anong justice system ang magkakaroon tayo?”
MANILA, Philippines — Maginhawa community pantry pioneer Ana Patricia Non on Monday expressed her dismay on the nomination of Cavite 7th District Rep. Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla as the next justice secretary.
Presumptive president Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has picked Remulla for the post, as he tries to complete his incoming administration’s Cabinet.
Non recalled Remulla questioning the intentions of community pantries and its volunteers – claiming the initiative had an underlying political agenda and was being used to criticize the government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Very uncomfortable na si Rep. Boying Remulla na ang DOJ Sec,” she wrote on Facebook. “[Hindi] ko malilimutan ‘yung mga accusation niya sa Community Pantry PH noong nakaraang taon sa Congress. Ang sama sa loob na akusahan tayong mga pantry organizer na nagpapasikat dahil may posts tayo. [Hindi] man lang inisip na ito ‘yung nag-iinform sa public kung saan may existing pantries para madaling puntahan ng mga nangangailangan at donors.”
(It’s very uncomfortable knowing Rep. Boying Remulla may be the next Department of Justice secretary. I won’t forget his accusations against Community Pantry PH in the congress this past year. It was displeasing to have pantry organizers accused of publicizing the initiative when our posts were only made to inform the public about the locations of existing pantries, so both beneficiaries and donors know where to go.)
Non said that community pantries started as a “movement” to help people amid the COVID-19 crisis yet unfounded accusations were thrown against the initiative by Remulla.
“[Hindi] ko alam kung anong justice system ang magkakaroon tayo,” she added.
On Monday, Remulla confirmed he accepted the offer to be the secretary of the Department of Justice under the Marcos administration.
