Cheyenne Suarez

Sen. Jinggoy Estrada and San Juan Mayor Francis Zamora. Senate PRIB and George Calvelo, ABS-CBN News/File

Article (news)

'Estrada country' no more: Zamora blasts Jinggoy after 'flying voters' accusation in San Juan

Jeffrey Hernaez

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1732240541110Zamora-Jinggoy--11222024.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Sen. Jinggoy Estrada and San Juan Mayor Francis Zamora. Senate PRIB and George Calvelo, ABS-CBN News/File"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Sen. Jinggoy Estrada and San Juan Mayor Francis Zamora.<em> Senate PRIB and George Calvelo, ABS-CBN News/File </em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — San Juan City Mayor Francis Zamora on Thursday challenged Sen. Jinggoy Estrada to file an exclusion petition in court to prove his allegation that the mayor had facilitated the registration of up to 30,000 flying voters.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/05/17/19/giant-slayers-warned-vs-temptation-of-building-own-political-dynasty">• Giant-slayers warned vs ‘temptation’ of building own political dynasty</a></div><p>Zamora said Estrada&#x27;s accusations were baseless and he dared the senator to present evidence.</p><p>“Sinasabi po niya na mayroon daw 30,000 flying voters si Mayor Francis Zamora dito sa San Juan. Ang tanong ko po, nasaan po sila? May nakakita ba ng 30,000 na flying voters sa ating mga mamamayan? Mayroon ba silang mga ebidensya? Mayroon ba silang photos at videos kung saan naghahakot kami ng tao na magrerehistro sa Comelec? May maipapakita po ba sila?” Zamora said.</p><p>“Hinahamon ko po siya na mag-file ng exclusion sa korte kung totoong may 30,000 na flying voters, ano mga pangalan nila, saan sila nakatira. Hinahamon ko kayo, Senator Jinggoy Estrada, mag-file kayo ng exclusion sa korte,” he added.</p><p>During the Commission on Elections (Comelec) budget hearing, Estrada expressed suspicion about the supposedly sudden increase in the number of voters in a small city like San Juan. </p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/10/8/san-juan-s-zamora-files-candidacy-for-3rd-term-as-mayor-1131">• San Juan&#x27;s Zamora files candidacy for 3rd term as mayor</a></div><p>“This is parochial in nature in our City of San Juan with regard to the flying voters. I’ll just give you the data, brief data, 2016 National and Local elections (NLE) we (San Juan) have registered voters of 71,225 and 2019 NLE it increased to 16.50 percent or 82,977, in 2022 NLE it increased to 32.2 percent for a total of 109,640 voters as compared to Pasig,” Estrada said.</p><p>“Ang tinaas lang ng Pasig is 3.75 percent, Mandaluyong 1.32 percent, Quezon City 5.55 percent, and in Manila 6.37 percent. Napakaliit lang po ng lungsod ng San Juan para magkaron ng increase na 32.2 percent... Bakit po ganun? I think, for me, it’s highly irregular. The increase of registered voters in San Juan in NLE 2022 and BSKE 2023 is highly irregular compared to other LGUs and the national registered voters,” the senator added.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/11/5/comelec-explains-irregular-surge-in-number-of-new-voters-2024">• Comelec explains &#x27;irregular&#x27; surge in number of new voters</a></div><p>Estrada comes from the family that ruled San Juan for 5 decades, until Zamora in 2018 toppled their dynasty in 2019.</p><p>Zamora said he had no control over voters.</p><p>“Hindi po si Mayor Francis Zamora ang nagdedesisyon kung sino ang magiging botante. Mayroon pong tinatawag na ERB o Election Registration Board na nagdedesisyon niyan… Kung kilala ni Senator Estrada itong mga flying voters ko raw, sasamahan ko pa siya mag file ng exclusion sa ating korte,” he said.</p><div><strong>&#x27;UNPARLIAMENTARY&#x27; </strong></div><p>In one part of Estrada’s statement during the budget hearing, he directed an insulting remark toward Zamora. </p><p>“If these issues will not be resolved, no other candidates from other parties will ever have a chance of being elected as public officials in San Juan. Laging kung sino man ang sabihin niyong g***** mayor namin doon, yun lang ang boboto nila. Wala nang pagkakataon dahil meron sila 30,000 flying voters,” Estrada stressed.</p><p>Fellow senators suggested striking the word from the records, but Estrada declined. </p><p>“Eh, g*** talaga e,” he repeated. </p><p>Zamora said he would not engage with Estrada’s &quot;unparliamentary&quot; remark.</p><p>“I will not dignify any unparliamentary remarks. Nakakalungkot at nakakahiya na mayroon tayong senador, mataas ang kanyang posisyon sa Senado, Senate Presidente Pro Tempore, na ganyan po ang asal. Hindi po ako pinalaki ng mga magulang na maging ganyan kaya hindi po siya papatulan, hindi ko rin po siya sasagutin,&quot; Zamora said.</p><div><strong>NOT FROM SAN JUAN</strong></div><p>Estrada also criticized one of Zamora’s councilor candidates, claiming the candidate was not a resident of San Juan City.</p><p>“I have here a copy of the COC of one candidate for councilor in San Juan. Ang address niya, Unit A, N. Domingo. Unit A, N. Domingo. Napakahaba po ng  N. Domingo. Walang building, walang number,” Estrada said. </p><p>“Hindi taga-San Juan ito. Basketball player. Well, I do not have anything against basketball players as long as they are legitimate residents of San Juan. E pinuno na ng basketball player ‘yung Sangguniang Panlungsod sa San Juan. Hindi naman mga taga-San Juan. What are we going to do with this? Dapat yung EO ng San Juan, dapat they exercise due diligence. Ba’t tatanggapin itong COC na Unit A, N. Domingo? Anong klase ba naman ito?” Estrada added.</p><p>Although Estrada did not name the candidate, Zamora said that the former basketball player Renren Ritualo was the person in question.</p><p>“The address exists. Nandoon talaga ang kanyang address. Tinanong kasi kung bakit Unit A, N. Domingo lang. Unfortunately po, sa isang COC, mayroon lang limited number of boxes po na puwede mong isulat ang address mo… Kung titingnan niyo po ang kanyang application as a voter, tugma po ito sa address. Hindi naman po siya tatanggapin ng Comelec as a registered voter kung hindi siya taga-San Juan,” said Zamora.</p><div><strong>&#x27;ESTRADA COUNTRY&#x27; NO MORE</strong></div><p>Zamora told Estrada that San Juan City was no longer the &quot;Estrada Country&quot; it once was.</p><p>“Senator Jinggoy Estrada, gumising na kayo sa katotohanan, hindi na Estrada country ang San Juan. Mula 2019, Zamora na po ang Mayor. Hanggang ngayon, Zamora ang mayor. Hindi na po Estrada Country ang San Juan. Gusto kong ipaalala sa inyo, noong 2019 noong tumakbo kayo bilang senador, number 13 lang kayo dito sa San Juan. Noong 2022, number 14 lang kayo dito sa San Juan,” Zamora stated. </p><p>“Hindi niyo nga maipanalo ang sarili ninyo dito, paano pa ang mga kandidato ninyo? Hindi ko po kailangan ng flying voters para manalo dito sa San Juan. Huli pong naging Mayor si Senator Jinggoy Estrada noong 2001 pa, that is about 23 years ago, bago siya nakulong. That is a very, very long time ago. Siguro hindi na siya in touch sa reality dito sa aming lungsod,” Zamora added. </p><p>Estrada countered, saying no family owns San Juan City.</p><p>“Hindi ito usapin kung sino sa mga Estrada at Zamora, ang namamayani at umangkin na pagmamay-ari ang lungsod ng San Juan. Walang nagmamay-ari ng San Juan kundi ang mga mamamayan ng San Juan – ang mga San Juaneños,” he said.</p><div><strong>CHALLENGE ACCEPTED</strong></div><p>Estrada accepted Zamora’s challenge to file an exclusion petition in court. Estrada’s office said it was gathering data to support his claim of thousands of flying voters under Zamora.</p><p>“Sen. Estrada is currently collecting data regarding the increase in the number of registered voters following the May 9, 2022 elections. This information will be used to support a petition for the exclusion of certain voters in the upcoming May 12, 2025 elections,” said a statement from Estrada’s office.</p><p>Estrada’s camp noted that a petition for the annulment of San Juan’s voter list had already been filed after the May 9, 2022 elections.</p><p>“Bago pa man lumabas ang isyu na ito, may naihain nang petition for annulment ng voters’ list ng San Juan City noong 2022, matapos isagawa ang May 9, 2022 elections. Given this petition and my revelation on the improbability of a 32.13 percent increment within eight years, we’re requesting the Commission on Elections to act with dispatch on this matter considering the seriousness of the issue,” Estrada said.</p><p>Aside from challenging Estrada to file an exclusion petition, Zamora also dared him not to hide behind his parliamentary immunity as a senator.</p><p>“Huwag kayong magtago sa inyong parliamentary immunity. Parati niyo akong tinitira. Kayo at inyong kapatid na si Senator JV Ejercito. Parati niyo akong tinitira sa mga privilege speech ninyo, sa mga senate hearing ninyo sapagkat mayroon kayong proteksyon sa inyong parliamentary immunity. Tingnan natin ang tapang ninyo sa labas ng senado,” the mayor asserted.</p><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO: <br/></strong></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-2nvUPysEAo?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/RiIzNKYBGY4?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>Aside from challenging Estrada to file an exclusion petition, Zamora also dared him not to hide behind his parliamentary immunity as a senator.</p>

Aside from challenging Estrada to file an exclusion petition, Zamora also dared him not to hide behind his parliamentary immunity as a senator.