Angel Locsin After A Senior Citizen Died In Community Pantry Line: 'Habang buhay po ako hihingi ng patawad sa kanila'

Actress Angel Locsin said Friday she was "forever sorry" to the family of a senior citizen who died while in line for aid at her community pantry.

Locsin, who set up the free food station for her 36th birthday on Friday, said she hoped the incident would not be used against other community pantries.

Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte said she would provide assistance to the family of the man, 67-year-old Rolando dela Cruz.

The man who died was a family man and balut vendor who had been in line since 3 a.m. Friday. He was caught in a commotion while in line, Locsin said. There were reports of line-jumping at the pantry.

"Bago po ang lahat, humihingi po ako ng tawad sa pamilya. Kanina po pinuntahan at nakapagusap po kami ng personal ng mga anak nya sa ospital. At habang buhay po ako hihingi ng patawad sa kanila," she said in an all-black Instagram post.

"Si tatay po ay isang masipag na ama na nagtitinda ng balut. Hindi ko man po sya nakilala pero sa pagkakakilala ko sa mga anak niya ay mabuti po syang ama at maayos nyang napalaki ang mga anak nya," she said.

Locsin took responsibility for the incident, saying, "Ang nangyari po ay akin pong pagkakamali. Sana po'y wag madamay ang ibang community pantries na maganda po ang nangyari."

A fast lane and a tent for seniors was set up to make lining up easier, she said. Surplus from the pantry will be donated to the community, she said.

"Sa ngayon po, I will prioritize helping the family and I will make it my responsibility to help them get through this," she said.

Dela Cruz was declared dead on arrival at 9:20 a.m. at the East Avenue Medical Center. he was brought to the hospital after fainting during the long queue, the Quezon City Police District said.

Belmonte, who earlier expressed support for the community pantry, reminded organizers to coordinate with local officials to ensure crowd control and adherence to minimum health safety protocols.

Photos from outside Locsin's community pantry in Barangay Holy Spirit showed an unruly crowd. Instead of a physically-distant line of people, those awaiting aid were standing shoulder to shoulder.

Some were seen wearing their face masks and shields improperly. Senior citizens, who were advised to stay at home due to fears of COVID-19 infection, were also seen among the crowd.

At least two elderly persons collapsed on the street, including Dela Cruz. 

[ArticleReco:{"articles":[76995], "widget":"See Also"}]

"'Yung mga walang stub po ata sumingit sa pila, naiintindihan ko naman po kasi kanina pa din naman sila nag-iintay pero yun po yung naging dahilan kung bakit nagsiksikan pero nagsimula naman po kami na maayos talaga," Locsin said in a Facebook video following the ruckus.

Inspired by the original Maginhawa pantry, open pantries have sprouted all over the Philippines to help feed the hungry and provide other essential needs.

***

This story originally appeared on Reportr.world. Minor edits have been made by the Cosmo.ph editors.

[ArticleReco:{"articles":["76844","76131","75763","74564"], "widget":"More from cosmo"}]

Source: Cosmo PH