MANILA, Philippines -- At least 11 people were injured when residents of a Muslim community in Pasay City pelted a demolition team with stones, bottles and even human waste in a desperate bid to prevent their houses from being torn down Wednesday morning.

However, Anak Mindanao party-list Rep. Mujiv Hataman said three residents, including a 7-year-old child, were killed when policemen tasked to protect the demolition team fired their guns into the air.

His claim was immediately disputed by Pasay police chief, Senior Supt. Raul Petrasanta who said his men only fired warning shots.

“There were a few people injured but no one died,” Petrasanta told reporters.

Florencio Mateo, chief of Pasay City’s traffic and parking management unit who was tasked to lead the demolition, said nine of those hurt were members of his team.

They were hit by stones and bottles thrown by residents, he added.

The two others were residents in the area. One of them was struck by a stone while the other was shot in the leg.

Abdelmanan Tanandato, the leader of the Muslim community, insisted that three residents were killed when the police fired at them. He identified the alleged victims as Hakim Husman, 50; Rajid Batalo, 7; and Yacob Macalnas, 20.

According to Tanandato, Batalo and Husman died on the spot while Macalnas was brought to San Juan de Dios Hospital where he passed away while undergoing treatment.

Asked where their bodies were, Tanandato said the victims were immediately buried.

Unbelievable

“[The police] were the ones who shot them. Why will we entrust the bodies to them?” Tanandato said in Filipino, adding that they would file charges of multiple murder against policemen involved in yesterday’s operation.

Mateo, however, said Tanandato’s claim was “unbelievable.”

“How come we did not see the bodies? Why did they not show them for the media to see? It’s obviously a lie,” he told reporters.

At around 7:30 a.m. Wednesday, a 700-man team composed of a demolition squad, around 150 policemen and rescue personnel, positioned themselves around the disputed area which is owned by Philippine Reclamation Authority (PRA).

Some of the policemen were carrying M-16 rifles and 9 mm pistols while the rest wielded shields and truncheons.

When members of the demolition team tried to tear down some of the shanties, they were met by flying stones and bottles, prompting some policemen to fire warning shots.

Mateo, however, defended the move, saying it was necessary because they were up against some 50 residents who were armed with “sumpak” or improvised firearms, molotov bombs, bottles and stones.

Several tension-filled hours later, the demolition team was able to clear the area and drive out the 100 residents from the property.

They erected a fence around the area to keep residents from coming back although a path leading to the Grand Mosque was kept open.

Terminal project

The PRA property is being eyed as the site for the Southwest Public Transport Intermodal Center (Metrotrans), a joint project of the Pasay City government and the Department of Transportation and Communication.

The construction of the terminal is aimed at reducing the number of vehicles fighting for passengers and road space.

It is also expected to make commuting between Manila and Cavite easier.

Residents in the area, however, who helped reclaim the land in 1992 with the permission of the Parañaque City government under then Mayor Joey Marquez, were opposed to the plan to turn the 2.8-hectare area into a terminal.