FORMER senator Jinggoy Estrada violated quarantine rules when he distributed milk fish (bangus) to residents of barangay Salapan in San Juan City without coordinating his efforts with the local government, Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said on Monday.
During the regular Laging Hand press briefing, Año said Estrada likewise did his distribution effort without a quarantine pass, which is mandated by the Inter-Agency Task Force on the management of Emerging Infectious Disease (IATF-EID), and non-observance of social distancing.
He noted that senior citizens and children were prompted to go out of their homes during the distribution, which was another violation of community quarantine guidelines.
Estrada was arrested by San Juan city police operatives led by local police chief Col. Jaime Santos on Sunday afternoon while distributing fresh fish at barangay Salapan. Seized from the former senator were seven (7) boxes of fresh milkfish.
At the San Juan PNP headquarters, Estrada and the group of police officers were met by former president Joseph Estrada, Jinggoy’s daughter and former San Juan vice mayor Janella Estrada, wife Precy and Sen. Bong Revilla.
Brig. Gen. Johnson Almazan, Eastern police district (EPD) director, explained the former senator’s violations.
The apprehended Estrada was released at around 7:30 p.m. Sunday after getting a “stern warning” against repeating his violation.
City mayor Francis Zamora distanced himself from the arrest of the former senator.
“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,” Zamora said.
Año said he understands Estrada’s intention to help city residents but reminded him that such relief missions should be coordinated with the local government unit and aligned with quarantine rules.
“He should have coordinated with the LGU. If he is at odds with the LGU, the OCD is there, give the goods to them, tell them where you intend the goods to be given, and then let OCD do its job),” he said, referring to the Office of Civil Defense.
Estrada’s daughter, Janella, lost in the mayoralty race to Mayor Francis Zamora in last year’s elections.
EXTRA COPS
The National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) said police headquarters has authorized the deployment of an additional 1,000 police officers in various places in Metro Manila.
NCRPO Director P/Maj. Gen.. Debold Sinas has requested for a 10,000 augmentation force for the metropolis.
Sinas said the “NCRPO will just settle on the 1000 police additional and we will just make an adjustment to our deployment.”
Sinas said 200 of the 1,000 extra cops will come from the Special Action Force (SAF) while the 800 will come from Camp Crame. — With Christian Oineza and Noel Talacay
