By Benjamin Cuaresma
MANILA — Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla revealed that one of Senator Jinggoy Estrada’s daughters allegedly made an obscene gesture and hurled insults at him during the implementation of the arrest warrant against the senator on Monday.
Speaking to reporters at the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) headquarters in Camp Crame, Remulla said emotions ran high as authorities carried out the arrest of Estrada following an order from the Sandiganbayan.
According to Remulla, a brief confrontation took place between him and one of the senator’s daughters during the operation.
“She gave me the dirty finger and cursed at me,” Remulla said, adding that he chose not to respond to the provocation.
The Interior chief said he understood the emotional circumstances surrounding the arrest.
“I told her it was okay. I understand that she was emotional. It was nothing personal. Everyone was emotional at that moment,” he added.
Remulla said he could not immediately determine which of Estrada’s daughters was involved in the incident.
Estrada has two daughters — Janella Estrada, who serves as an undersecretary of the National Authority for Child Care, and Julienne Estrada.
The incident occurred as authorities enforced the Sandiganbayan’s arrest order against Estrada and four co-accused in connection with plunder charges linked to the controversial flood control project scandal.
Following the issuance of the warrant, Estrada surrendered to authorities and was brought to the CIDG headquarters for booking and processing before his eventual transfer to detention facilities as directed by the court.
The arrest of the veteran lawmaker sparked strong emotions among family members and supporters, underscoring the tension surrounding one of the most closely watched corruption cases in recent years.
Despite the reported confrontation, authorities said the arrest and processing of Estrada proceeded without major incident.
ia/xf
