Grab rider Marvin Ignacio, whose lugaw helped clarify that food deliveries are essential during the lockdown, has appealed for help on Facebook, claiming three men had threatened him.
Ignacio said the men told him that a certain "Fez" was having suicidal thoughts after his video of the checkpoint encounter earlier this week went viral. In that video, aired live after midnight on Wednesday, a female barangay official stopped him and told him that lugaw did not count as an essential.
The Grab rider did not say whether the woman mentioned by the three men was the same barangay official at the checkpoint on March 31. Ignacio earlier told PEP that a Facebook apology, supposedly from the barangay official, was a fake.
"Sana po matulungan nyo kami pinagiiinitan nanaman po ang Lugaw Pilipinas," he said in between sobs in a Facebook live video, referring to the rice porridge restaurant in San Jose del Monte, Bulacan.
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Ignacio said he went live to prevent the men from hurting him. "Natatakot na talaga ako e, kaya nag-live agad ako kasi baka saktan nila ako. Kasi ang tatapang nila e. Bakit naman po sila ganun?"
He said the three men looked suspicious and were on motorcycles. He said the group wanted to close down the lugaw shop.
"Sana po may makatulong sa amin para matapos na ang gulo na to. Hindi kami makapaghanapbuhay ng maayos pag may ganyan," he said. "Tinatakot po nila kami."
"Akala ko tapos na po e, tapos yun pa nangyayari," he said.
"Hindi pwede ganito lang to, talagang pati kaligtasan naming mga riders hindi maayos. Alanganin po kami. Paano na lang pamilya ko, paano ako maghahanapbuhay?" he said.
Delivery riders are frontliners
Ignacio earlier told PEP.ph that delivery riders can be considered as frontliners because their work helps millions to stay at home, helping stop the spread of COVID-19.
He was stalled at a checkpoint by a barangay official who lectured him about essentials and non-essentials that can be moved around during the 6 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew. Malacanang said the Grab driver was correct, lugaw is essential.
“Called din kami na frontliners kasi nga po imbes na yung mga tao ang lumabas para bumili ng essential goods nila, kami na lang yung lalabas para sa kanila," Ignacio said.
"As long as nagtatrabaho kami para makatulong po sa ekonomiya natin. Yun po ang pagkakaalam ko kaya everytime na may order, talagang lumalabas ako despite COVID-19," he said.
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Ignacio said he was allowed to pass through, but his delivery was late. He was also warned that he would be apprehended (dadamputin) the next time. The barangay official ordered the lugaw stall shut, he said.
He said he got a call from Grab's legal department after the incident. While Ignacio will not press charges, he said the lugaw stall owner would.