(Eagle News) – The San Juan police station invited for questioning former senator Jinggoy Estrada on Sunday, May 3, for conducting relief operations without a permit which was allegedly a violation of the protocols on enhanced community quarantine.
The Philippine National Police (PNP), through spokesperson General Bernard Banac, said that they just issued a “stern warning” to the former senator to coordinate first with the San Juan City local government before he holds any relief operations amid the pandemic.
San Juan City mayor Francis Zamora claimed Jinggoy violated ECQ rules saying there was no coordination about his activity with the local government.
He claimed Estrada was arrested for not observing proper sanitation procedures when he distributed milkfish (bangus) to San Juan City residents in an “unsanitary manner.”
“The arrest of Mr. Jinggoy Estrada has nothing to do with politics in San Juan, but has everything to do with law and order, especially so now that we are collectively fighting this global pandemic,” he said in a statement.
“For several days now, he has been conducting distribution of bangus in different barangays in San Juan in an unsanitary manner with the fish not being put in any plastic or wrapper possibly adding to the spread of the virus,” Zamora said.
Estrada, for his part, insisted he was following sanitation procedures, and was wearing face mask and was observing safe distance rules while doing the fish distribution.
He questioned his allegedly being singled out by the city government.
“Why are they singling me out? I think that is unfair. I’ve been a mayor here for nine years before. Gusto ko lang tumulong sa aking kababayan,” he said in an interview with CNN Philippines’ Newsroom Weekend.
