FORMER Senator Jinggoy Estrada was arrested by San Juan City Police on Sunday afternoon for violating enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) rules.
Estrada, who was distributing relief goods in the city, was arrested and detained at the police station, according to San Juan police chief Colonel Jaime Santos.
Until press time, Estrada – also once mayor of San Juan City – said in an interview with CNN Philippines he was still at the police station, and blamed incumbent mayor Francis Zamora for his predicament. Zamora should not “politicize” the situation, which required everyone’s efforts in fighting Covid-19, he said.
However, Zamora, who was also interviewed by CNN Philippines right after Estrada, said it was not politics, but the strict rules of the national authorities, which led to Estrada’s arrest. The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) had earlier handed down strict orders that anyone who wants to go around distributing relief should first secure a permit from authorities, Zamora said. Thus, he said, this must be why the PNP, which is under DILG, arrested him.
Zamora told CNN Philippines he had signed hundreds of requests from different quarters who wanted to help, including Estrada’s daughter Janella, a former vice mayor. Zamora said he approved Janella’s request in one day, by way of belying the Estrada camp’s claim that he wanted to bar rivals from reaching out to constituents.
Zamora claimed that Estrada had been giving out cash and relief goods in different barangays without a quarantine pass and not practicing social distancing.
Estrada was arrested while giving out fish to residents of Barangay Salapan.
The former senator claimed that he was wearing a mask and personal protective equipment (PPE) and that he and his aides were practicing social distancing.
This was echoed by his daughter Janella, who went to her detained father.
“They (San Juan police) are arresting him because of social distancing daw. But we always practice and observe social distancing. We also wear PPEs [so it’s] safe,” Janella told reporters in a text message.
Former President Joseph Estrada, another former mayor of the city, also visited his son at the police station.
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