The food distribution activity of Quezon City Councilor and Majority Floor Leader Franz Pumaren on Tuesday allegedly violated health protocols in Barangay Old Balara.
Videos have circulated online showing social distancing was not followed during the food distribution.
Pumaren clarified that when they started the distribution around 4:45 p.m., health protocols were observed.
“It was an isolated case. Ang nangyari diyan umulan nang malakas, nag-alisan ‘yung mga tao sa linya tapos nagbalikan. Doon nagkagulo, tapos meron pa nagsasabi na mauubusan so syempre ‘yun ang instinct nila (It was an isolated case. What happened was it rained so hard, then people left the line and then came back. Trouble followed, and then someone said it would run out, of course that's their instinct),” he said in a virtual press conference on Thursday.
“Pero after a few minutes, nagawan naman ng paraan dahil andun ‘yung Task Force Disiplina, nandyan po ‘yung kapulisan, andyan po ‘yung mga marshals natin (But after a few minutes, we found a way because the Task Force Disiplina was there, the police were there, and our marshals were also there),” he added.
According to reports, around 6,000 individuals from different places lined up for the food distribution.
Pumaren said they have been distributing food to residents of the city since last year.
“This was an isolated case lang talaga ang nangyari dito. Since 2020 ginagawa na po namin ito at wala naman naging problema (This was just an isolated case. Since 2020 we have been doing this and there has been no problem),” he said.
Pumaren said they have already coordinated with the City Epidemiology and Disease Surveillance Unit (CESU) to monitor the residents who went to the distribution.
The city councilor assured that they will extend help to residents who will be affected by the chaos.