MANILA, Philippines — Amid criticism from two senators over a city ordinance that penalizes anyone extending aid to residents if they do not go to his office, San Juan City Mayor Francis Zamora clarified that City Ordinance 26 was not meant to limit anyone who wishes to help in times of disasters.
Responding to the reaction of senators JV Ejercito and Jinggoy Estrada in a phone call with The Manila Times on Wednesday, he clarified that there was no politics involved in the ordinance.
“We welcome all kinds of help… we are not limiting people to help. We just have to inform them to coordinate with the local government,” he said.
He told the two senators to “lower their pride” and emphasized that the local government gave them to enact ordinances for the welfare of the people.
“Why are they reacting to this? We are not saying we are doing this for them… why don’t they try to coordinate with us for once and it is not hard for them to do that,” the mayor said in Filipino. “They should lower their pride and coordinate with the local government.”
He also called on the pair to follow the guidelines of the local government units (LGUs), as well as to respect them. WITH LIA BADILLO-CRISOSTOMO
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