Squatters outside Merville protest impending demolition

MANILA, Philippines—About a hundred residents of Tucuma squatter colony adjacent to Merville Subdivision flocked to the Parañaque City Hall on Wednesday to protest what they said was a  looming demolition of their homes.

The group, led by community leader Ramil Asturias, called for a halt to the demolition of their houses, saying that they have received a notice of demolition asking them to leave the area on or before April 26.

The group was asking for an audience with Parañaque Mayor Florencio Bernabe Jr., but instead, security officers placed the City Hall under a lockdown, shutting its gates, and placing heavy equipment nearby as a precaution.