Former Senator Jinggoy Estrada was brought to the police station by the members of San Juan PNP for allegedly violating the enhanced community quarantine rules being implemented in the city.

According to the camp of Estrada, they’re just distributing relief goods to the residents of San Juan when police arrived and invited them to the police station.

The politician was informed that they violated the social distancing measure during the distribution of the relief goods.

However, Estrada said that his team assured that they told the beneficiaries to observe social distancing while lining up for the food aid.

“I was pretty sure… ‘yung mga tao ko, inutusan nila ‘yung mga tao to observe social distancing.” Estrada said.

Jinggoy’s father Former President and Manila Mayor Joseph Ejercito Estrada also rushed to the police station to defend his son.

Estrada also posted a message to his supporters on Facebook, assuring that the distribution of relief goods would be undisturbed despite what happened.

“Sa aking mga kababayan sa San Juan, Umasa po kayo kahit ako ay ikulong nila dahil sa pagtulong sa inyo, hindi pa rin po ako titigil sa pagtulong sa inyo lalong-lalo na sa mga nangangailangan!” Estrada said.

San Juan City Mayor Francis Zamora who’s also a political enemy of the Estradas said that the former Senator distributed relief goods without proper permit from the LGU.

“Sapagkat itong si dating Senador Jinggoy Estrada ay ilang araw na pong nag-iikot dito sa lungsod ng San Juan na walang authority,” Zamora told TV Patrol.

“Kung gusto niyang tumulong sa ating mga mamamayan, ayon sa DILG [Departmenf of Interior and Local Government], kailangang kumuha ng certification sa local government,” he added.

This is not the first time that the members of the Estrada clan and the Mayor of San Juan clashed amid the ECQ.

Last week, the “rolling stores” launched by Jinggoy’s daughter, Janella Estrada was blocked by Zamora.

“Ihinto mo. Sige mayor ihinto mo. Tingan natin. Pagkatapos ‘yung mga tindera ng palengke pinagsabihan mo na ‘wag sumama rito sa rolling store ni Janella,” the former Senator stated.

“Talagang pinahihirapan mo eh no. Wala kang puso talaga eh no,” he added.

TV host Boy Abunda opposed the plan of the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) to disallow senior citizens to go out of their houses amid the general community quarantine (GCQ) being enforced in some provinces in the country.

In an interview with Pep.ph, Abunda said that IATF should study the said proposal carefully as many senior citizens are still working like him.

According to him, the said proposal is discriminatory because it forced the senior citizens who wanted to be productive to stay at home.

“They’re marginalizing a big part of the population, lalo na yung 60 to 65 years old,” sabi niya. Maganda yung intent ng panukala, pero ang pananaw ko, there’s a big chunk of healthy seniors. And nalaman natin in the past months that COVID-19 just doesn’t attack seniors, although vulnerable sila. Pero kung titingnan mo ang data ay walang piniling edad,” Abunda said.

Abunda pointed out that most of the high-ranking officials in the government are senior citizens and even the President of the country, Rodrigo Roa Duterte is already 75-years-old.

The TV host also called the proposal ‘discriminatory’.

“A lot of the first and second layers of offices or government agencies are seniors. And these are people who have to move around to be able to implement programs and policies. Sa mga industriya rin, private industries, marami rin. To me, it’s discriminatory to a certain point.” he said.

Abunda also said that while the real intention of the IATF is s to protect the senior citizens in the country, the host said that the government possibly hasten the creation of the proposal.

“You have to also remember na most of these decisions are made really quickly. It is our responsibility to react, to respond, and to engage people in healthy conversations,” the TV host stated.

“This is not the time also to be divided. This is not also a time to quarrel. I don’t think we should get there. Yung may disagreement tayo, pag-usapan nating mabuti. Pero ako, halimbawa, in normal times, it’s really discriminatory. It’s marginalizing healthy seniors,” he added.

Meanwhile, IATF clarified that working senior citizens are allowed to go out.

“The operating guidelines are to be issued. Of course, the seniors who are actively working or running businesses will be allowed. We will use ID system,” Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said in a statement

Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon wanted to probe the labor attaché to Taichung, Taiwan for planning to deport an Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) who has gone viral on the internet because of criticizing President Rodrigo Duterte.

Drilon was referring to the case of Elanel Egot Ordidor also known as Linn Silawan on social media who faced possible deportation because of her posts against Duterte.

In a statement on April 29, Drilon urged the Department of Labor and Employment Secretary Silvestre Bello III to recall labor attaché Fidel Macauyag, calling him “unfit, incompetent and unqualified” to promote and protect the welfare of thousands of overseas Filipino workers in Taiwan like Ordidor.

“Mr. Macauyag’s irresponsible act toward a helpless overseas Filipino worker is clearly an abandonment of his sworn duties to protect the welfare of OFWs,” said Drilon.

Drilon also described Macauyag’s action as “stupidity at the highest level” saying that posting on social media against the President should not be a reason for an OFW to get deported.

“His mandate is to promote the welfare of our OFWs. He has shown the highest level of ignorance. Worse, his action embarrassed the Philippine government,” he said.

“I am saddened by what is happening with the officials tasked to protect our people. How come that they have gone astray this far?” he added.

Macauyag is the one who confirmed the cyber libel charges filed by DOLE against Ordidor for posting “nasty and malevolent materials against President Duterte on Facebook intended to cause hatred amidst the global health crisis brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic,”

“It has come to our knowledge that Ms. Ordidor is using several social media accounts, among which are Lenale Elanel Egot, Mha Lan Dee, Linn Silawan and Hampas Lupa and has a group organized to discredit and malign the President and destabilize the government,” Macauyag said on a statement released on April 25.

“Due to her acts, POLO coordinated with her broker and employer on her deportation on the basis of the gravity of Ordidor’s offense under Philippine Law. The sharing and posting of such videos are punishable under Cyber libel under Republic Act No. 10175,” he added.

Taiwan already rejected the request of DOLE, saying that Ordidor was only exercising her freedom to speech.

Ordidor also said that she’s not going to be frightened by the case filed against her.

“Dito natin papatunayan sa laban nating ito na hindi tayo basta basta magpasindak… kung sino ako, kung ano ako, buhay ko ang kapalit ng prinsipyo, walang sinuman magdikta sa akin, walang sinuman ang pwedeng mag dikta o magpabago sa paniniwala, laban ko ay laban ng bawat Pilipino,” the Filipina caregiver stated in her latest Facebook live video.

The Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) who wanted to be deported by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said that she’s not afraid of the charges filed against her for being critical to President Rodrigo Duterte.

In a Facebook live video, Elanel Egot Ordidor also known as Linn Silawan on social media told her families and friends that she’s going to fight for what is right.

Ordidor also insisted that she didn’t say anything wrong on her past videos, saying that she’s only expressing her opinions about the government.

“Sa mga kamag anak ko, eto ang sasabihin ko, ilaban ko hanggang sa dulo ito, manalo man o matalo, lalaban ako, tumatayo ako sa sarili kong paa, tumatayo ako sa sarili kong prinsipyo, hindi ko kailangan hingin ang suporta niyo,” Ordidor said.

She denied that some big personalities are trying to control or fund her to criticize President Duterte.

“Patunayan muna nila ang kanilang sinasabi, bago sila magsasalita, sa mga taong nagsasabi na ako ay may sakit, dito natin patunayan, dito natin umpisahan ang pag sugpo ng kasinungaling, ngayon palang hihimukin ang mga taong nagsasabi ng malisyoso laban sa aking pagkatao, patunayan niyo ang sinasabi niyo,” she said.

The Filipina caregiver assured her fans that she’s not going to be pressured by the people against her.

“Dito natin papatunayan sa laban nating ito na hindi tayo basta basta magpasindak… kung sino ako, kung ano ako, buhay ko ang kapalit ng prinsipyo, walang sinuman magdikta sa akin, walang sinuman ang pwedeng mag dikta o magpabago sa paniniwala, laban ko ay laban ng bawat Pilipino,” the Filipina caregiver stated before ending her Facebook live.

Ordidor has gone viral on the internet because of her statements against President Duterte, calling the government ‘inutile’ and criticizing the people supporting the chief executive.

“Napaka iresponsable ng gobyerno meron tayo, napaka inutil sa totoo lang…” she said.

On April 25, DOLE asked Taiwan to deport Ordidor for her viral videos against President Duterte.

However, Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) on April 27 rejected the request of the Philippines, saying that overseas workers like Ordidor has their right protected.

On April 29, Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO) chairman and resident representative Angelito Banayo issued the apology before Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) after Taiwan rejected the request of the Philippines to deport Ordidor.

“When I learned about the press statement issued in Manila, I immediately got in touch with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to apologize for the wording of whatever statement it was that talks about deportation,” Banayo said in an interview.

“Deportation is the sovereign privilege of the host country. nothing we can do about their decisions on deportation,” he added.

A lawyer said that the Filipina caregiver who posted videos against President Rodrigo Duterte could face passport cancellation if the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) is serious in punishing the latter.

On a Facebook post, Atty. Trixie Cruz-Angeles said that DOLE could just simply cancel the passport of Elanel Egot Ordidor also known as Linn Silawan on social media.

According to her, cancelling the passport of Ordidor would save time and the government doesn’t need to ask Taiwan to deport the Filipina caregiver who called the government ‘inutile’.

“If the DOLE is serious about sending Ms. Elanel Egot Ordidor home, it’s next step would be to file charges here in the Philippines and then have her passport canceled,” the lawyer said.

“When her passport is canceled there will be no need to request deportation, as she will no longer have a necessary travel document. MECO (Manila Economic and Cultural Office) will only have to notify the Immigrations authorities in Taiwan,” she added.

Cruz-Angeles also questioned why DOLE chose to file cyber libel charges to Ordidor that could give them a hard time to punish the OFW, citing that the President is required to personally file a complaint against the Filipina caregiver.

The lawyer suggested that instead of filing cyber libel, against the OFW, they should file ‘cyber inciting to sedition’ charges against Ordidor.

According to Art. 142 of the Revised Penal Code, circulating “scurrilous libels against the Republic of the Philippines or any of the duly constituted authorities,” can also be considered as inciting to sedition.

On April 25, DOLE asked Taiwan to deport Ordidor for her viral videos against President Duterte.

However, Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) on April 27 rejected the request of the Philippines, saying that overseas workers like Ordidor has their right protected.

“Taiwan is a sovereign, independent country where foreign workers enjoy ‘citizen treatment,’ and their rights and interests are protected by relevant laws and regulations, including freedom of speech, which should be respected by governments of all countries,” MOFA statement reads.

“No person or institution, in this case, has the right to pressure her, her employer, or broker, nor shall she be deported without consultations held between both governments,” it added.