Manila Bulletin
Duterte takes swipe at community pantries, asks people to wait for gov’t aid
President Rodrigo Duterte criticized donors for creating crowds at community pantries, warning that such gatherings could increase COVID-19 transmission and potentially lead to renewed quarantine measures.
He argued that organizers of these initiatives may lack common sense regarding the consequences of people crowding together.
Duterte likened lining up for community pantries to a "wholesale" where one can contract the coronavirus along with food items.
He suggested that people should wait for government aid, emphasizing that the administration has already provided cash assistance despite limited funds.
The President also warned that while donors might have good intentions, their actions could inadvertently worsen the pandemic and invite blame on the government.
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News Sources
See how different news organizations are covering this story. Below are the original articles from various Philippine news sources that contributed to this summary.
President Rodrigo Duterte is not ordering the shutdown of community pantries amid the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque.
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President Rodrigo Duterte proposed a scheduling system for community pantries to manage crowds during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte ordered the dispersal of the Matina Community Pantry due to violations of physical distancing protocols.
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Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque stated that the government is exhausting all efforts to address hunger incidence in the country amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
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