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Jinggoy says he gave away free 'bangus', not bribes

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<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2020/tvpatrol/05/03/jinggoy.jpg"/><figcaption>Ex-senator Jinggoy Estrada is brought to a police station in San Juan on Sunday, May 3, 2020. <em>Photo courtesy of Ryan Michael Javier</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>MANILA <strong>(UPDATE)</strong> - Former senator Jinggoy Estrada rejected Monday allegations that he was giving away money to San Juan residents over the weekend, prompting authorities to bring him to a police station for allegedly violating quarantine measures. </p><p>Speaking to ABS-CBN&#x27;s Umagang Kay Ganda, Estrada said he was merely giving away free bangus (milkfish) from his mother&#x27;s fish pond.</p><p>&quot;Dalawang linggo na ako namimigay ng libreng bangus galing fishpond ng mommy ko. Sa sobrang dami ng bangus, sabi ng mommy ko ipamigay sa mahihirap,&quot; he said. </p><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/v1ZW239ip9A?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div><p>Estrada, a former mayor of San Juan, said police &quot;singled him out&quot; when they questioned his staff for violating social distancing measures during the relief operations. </p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/05/03/20/ex-senator-jinggoy-estrada-arrested-for-violating-lockdown-in-san-juan">Jinggoy Estrada brought to police station for &#x27;violating&#x27; lockdown</a></li></ul><p>He also criticized San Juan Mayor Francis Zamora for trying to stop him from helping residents. </p><p>&quot;Wala daw ako permit. Namimigay lang tayo ng bangus...Bakit ako hinihingan ng permit? Why single me out? It&#x27;s plain harassment,&quot; he said. </p><p>He denied that he was giving away money to residents. &quot;Bangus lang po ang pinamimigay ko, pagkain na kailangan ng tao,&quot; he said. </p><p>&quot;Assuming, assuming totoo ang sinasabi niya (what he is saying is true), I think there&#x27;s nothing wrong [with that]. People are hungry, people have no work. He should understand that,&quot; he said in an earlier interview. </p><p>&quot;Hindi nila ako mapipigilan...Gagawa at gagawa ako ng paraan,&quot; he added. </p><p>The former senator earlier accused Zamora of blocking a mobile market that sold goods at half the price, which was an initiative of his daughter Janella.</p><p>Janella was defeated in the last elections by Zamora.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5yb6a4bX8G4?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div><p>Zamora said the former senator had been violating quarantine measures for 6 days, which had reached the national government&#x27;s monitoring teams.</p><p>He added that the Metro Manila police conducted the operation after receiving reports that Estrada was conducting relief operations without securing a permit from the local government.</p><p>&quot;There’s no politics involved here. What I don’t understand is (former) Sen. Estrada has been repeatedly doing all of these without any coordination with the local government, without securing any permits,&quot; Zamora told ANC.</p><p>He said Estrada&#x27;s relief efforts were drawing crowds in violation of the guidelines on physical distancing.</p><p>&quot;Nag-iikot, parating maraming tao, walang social (physical) distancing,&quot; he said in a TV Patrol interview.</p><p>(He&#x27;s going around, there&#x27;s always a crowd, there&#x27;s no social distancing.)</p><p>&quot;Hindi po biro ang panahon ngayon, we are under enhanced community quarantine,&quot; he said, adding that as a former lawmaker, Estrada should be the first to follow the law. </p><p>Zamora said he had approved the request of Janella to provide free medicine to San Juan citizens and he would do the same if the former senator wrote him.</p><p>&quot;Yes, definitely. If the former senator writes me a request, I will immediately grant it,&quot; he said.</p>

<p>Former senator Jinggoy Estrada rejected Monday allegations that he was giving away money to San Juan residents over the weekend, prompting authorities to bring him to a police station for allegedly violating quarantine measures. </p>

Former senator Jinggoy Estrada rejected Monday allegations that he was giving away money to San Juan residents over the weekend, prompting authorities to bring him to a police station for allegedly violating quarantine measures.