Jinggoy’s arrest had nothing to do with politics, says Zamora

Local politics had nothing to do with former senator Jinggoy Estrada's being invited to the police station for allegedly violating quarantine protocols, San Juan Mayor Francis Zamora said Sunday.

In a statement, Zamora maintained that the Philippine National Police arrested Estrada in line with the directives of the national government on the enforcement of the enhanced community quarantine.

“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.

Speaking to reporters after his release, Estrada claimed that the incident was driven by local politics. 

Zamora ended the decades-long rule of the Estradas over San Juan when he beat then-Vice Mayor Janella Estrada, the former senator’s daughter, in the mayoralty race.

“Despite the malicious allegations being thrown at me now, I would like to assure our beloved San Juanenos that no amount of politics will distract me from my single focus—which is to flatten the curve [of infections] in San Juan,” he said.

Rules violated

Estrada was invited to the police station while he was giving out fish to residents of Barangay Salapan. 

“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.

He pointed out that Estrada was also not authorized to be outside his residence amid the quarantine, “thus having no authority to be roaming around the streets.”

The mayor also stressed that individuals or groups that intend to conduct relief operations in cities under quarantine are required by the Department of the Interior and Local Government to obtain a certification from local authorities.

“I am saddened by the fact that the former senator is not respecting the rule of law. Being a former lawmaker himself, he is expected to be the first to abide by the laws of our country,” Zamora said. — Julia Mari Ornedo/BM, GMA News