Zamora fires back at Ejercito, rejects ‘vindictive’ tag

San Juan City Mayor Francis Zamora (Photo from Mayor Francis Zamora FB page)

MANILA, Philippines — San Juan City Mayor Francis Zamora countered on Thursday allegations that his leadership is “vindictive,” maintaining that he embraced all the people that the Estrada clan left behind when they were no longer in power.

Zamora’s remarks came after Senator JV Ejercito’s allegation that some San Juan City residents were being “terrorized” by Zamora’s “vindictive” leadership.

Ejercito was a former mayor of San Juan City. So were his brother, Senator Jinggoy Estrada; his father, former President Joseph Estrada; and his mother, Guia Gomez.

“I have no idea what he’s talking about regarding vindictiveness kasi niyakap ko yung mga tao nila. Marami sa mga leaders and supporters nila na pinabayaan nila, especially when they both lost in the Senate in 2019, when his mother was not a mayor anymore and when they both lost in the Senate — noong pinabayaan nila ang leaders nila, namamatay, nagkakasakit, kanino sila lumalapit? Sa akin,” Zamora told INQUIRER.net in a phone interview.

(I have no idea what he’s talking about regarding vindictiveness because I embraced their people. Many of the leaders and supporters they abandoned, especially when they both lost in the Senate in 2019, when his mother was not a mayor anymore and when they both lost in the Senate — when they abandoned their leaders, dying, getting sick, who did they approach? It was me.)

“If I am terrorizing San Juan, then how come we won 15-0 in 2022. All positions from mayor, vice mayor, congresswoman and 12 councilors?” he added.

Zamora then stressed that every single city hall employee in San Juan in 2019 was an Estrada employee since the clan was in power from 1969 to 2019.

“Most of my department heads now are former Estrada department heads. I and these Estrada appointees [or] Estrada elected officials have been working hard with each other. In fact, San Juan has won so many awards because of our harmonious working relationship,” said Zamora.

To prove his point, Zamora even named some of these supposed Estrada elected officials:

• Sancho Hicap – a former Estrada councilor and barangay captain who is now an employee in San Juan City hall
• Raymond Ganzon – Although not an elected official, Ganzon is Ejercito’s relative who now heads one of Zamora’s political support base organizations
• Allen Silvano – Former councilor and barangay captain who was appointed as Population Development Department head after he lost as councilor in 2019

Zamora specifically noted that Silvano eventually resigned to work for Ejercito but later on regretted his decision when he realized that his “salary was much lower.”

“I know how to work with people. There’s no truth to namumulitika, ‘pag supporter nila ay kinakawawa – anong proof nila?” he added, emphasizing that being vindictive is different from being accountable.

(I know how to work with people. There’s no truth that I am politicking, and to the allegation that I oppress their supporters – what proof do they have?)

On unpaid terminal pay

Ejercito, in a separate forum on Thursday, likewise claimed that to date, some retired San Juan City workers have yet to receive their terminal pay.

Zamora, however, stressed that the city government – under his leadership – He added that even the terminal pay of former Mayor Gomez and former Vice Mayor Janella Estrada were immediately released.  has released millions of local funds to pay qualified retired workers. He added that even the terminal pay of former Mayor Gomez and former Vice Mayor Janella Estrada were immediately released.

“Now, there are some that we really cannot [pay] terminal leaves yet because of pending investigation or those with uncomplied requirements, there’s clearance – so there’s a process that they have to go through for us to release the terminal leave,” Zamora explained.

But the mayor maintained that he was unaware of what Ejercito was talking about when the senator said that “11 out of 30” have yet to receive their terminal pay.

Despite this, Zamora has committed to immediately release the terminal pay of those 11 should they be cleared without any issues.

“If I get to see the names of the 11, I’ll be in a better position to know if indeed meron bang pending investigation, meron bang clearance na dapat tapusin, then pag wala namang nakikitang problema I would gladly and immediately release the terminal leave,” he noted.

(If I get to see the names of the 1, I’ll be in a better position to know if there is a pending investigation, if there is a clearance that must be completed, and then if there is no visible problem, I would gladly release the terminal leave.)

On alleged corruption in San Juan

Zamora then challenged Ejercito’s allegation of corruption in San Juan City’s social aid programs.

In his privilege speech delivered during the Senate’s plenary session, Ejercito said the scheme was made through an “ayuda scam” concerning the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) program and other social assistance initiatives.

Ejercito then presented two videos supposedly revealing some local officials in San Juan City “who exploited the system.”

But according to Zamora, his sources pointed out that the videos that Ejercito presented in the Senate were taken more than two years ago.

“The lady talking is already dead. Why didn’t he mention this? They are trying to make it appear as if it is of the present,” said Zamora.

The San Juan City mayor then questioned Ejercito for “moving away” from the TUPAD issue, further prodding the lawmaker what his evidence was in order to prove that San Juan is, indeed, involved in corruption.

Zamora said he would be willing to appear before the Senate should investigation on the alleged aid scam pushes through.

The Estradas and Zamoras have long been political rivals in San Juan City. Zamora ended the 50-year grip of the Estrada clan over San Juan when he was elected city mayor in 2019.