MANILA, Philippines--The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) Thursday criticized the police for firing warning shots during Wednesday?s demolition of shanties on a government-owned property in Pasay City.

In a statement, Human Rights Chair Leila de Lima said that based on news reports, policemen who took part in the operation fired their guns into the air to scare off defiant residents who were armed with a ?sumpak? or an improvised gun, molotov bombs, bottles and stones.

?The use of firearms is strictly prohibited during demolition operations. The Philippine National Police (PNP) has no justification for the discharge of firearms, whether for the purpose of firing warning shots, disabling or killing protesters,? De Lima said.

She added that the PNP manual on operational procedures was clear on the conduct of policemen in demolitions.

?Given that only nonlethal modes of violent intervention are allowed, such as tear gas and water cannons, and only as a last resort, clearly the PNP, by its own rules, cannot use firearms in demolitions,? De Lima said.

She called on the police to properly document and identify those who may have used firearms, both from their own ranks and from the demolished community, adding that the CHR would conduct a probe of the incident.

Pasay police chief, Senior Supt. Raul Petrasanta, meanwhile, admitted that some of his men may have violated standard operating procedure when they fired at the residents.

?During a commotion, warning shots were fired. We are still investigating the policemen who were involved in this,? he said. With Allison W. Lopez