Jinggoy Estrada had violated the lockdown guidelines when he made an unauthorized relief drive in San Juan City without prior coordination with the city government, said the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) on Monday.

According to Interior Secretary Eduardo Año, Estrada had violated several rules of the enhanced community quarantine. First is when he distributed free Bangus (milkfish) in San Juan on Sunday. The former senator was brought to the police station for his actions.

” Año said in a virtual press briefing., “Naintindihan naman natin ‘yung kagustuhan ni former senator Jinggoy na makatulong pero dapat ay ayon ito sa legal na pamamaraan at sa panuntunan ng ECQ guidelines“.

Recalling, Estrada was a former mayor of San Juan.

He also criticized the Mayor of San Juan City, Mayor Francis Zamora for trying to stop him from helping residents. 

He said, “Wala daw ako permit. Namimigay lang tayo ng bangus…Bakit ako hinihingan ng permit? Why single me out? It’s plain harassment.” 

However, the DILG chief said that Estrada could have coursed his donations to the Office of Civil Defense if he does not feel comfortable seeking a permit from the city government.

“Dapat nagcoordinate siya sa LGU. Kung kaaway niya ‘yung LGU, andiyan naman yung OCD,” Año said.

Relief drives are regulated by the government to ensure that it would not be abused, Año added, because there are some people who do illegal activities in the guise of relief operations.

“Ang LGU kasi ang dapat namumuno diyan para alam nila sino ang nakatanggap, di nakatanggap, saan papasok ‘yung LGU, para naman tulungan ‘yung mga di nakatanggap,” he said.

Año also said, that aside from the lack of coordination with the city government, the same goes for the people who were distributing fish who lacked quarantine passes, it means they are not allowed to be in the streets.

According to Zamora, Estrada has been violating quarantine measures for over a week, which had reached the national government’s monitoring teams.

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