10 hurt in Pasig demolition

AT LEAST 10 people were hurt while 16 more ended up being arrested by the police after a group of informal settlers living beside a creek in Pasig City clashed with members of a demolition team yesterday.

The injured included residents in the area and three members of the Batas Ciudad Enforcement Office (BCEO) of the Pasig City government.

Precilda Juanich, a resident who was among those arrested, said that most of the injured people from their side suffered bruises and cuts although one of them had to be taken to Rizal Medical Center for a suspected fracture.

She added that some BCEO members dragged several residents away and then beat them up.

On the other hand, Bong de Leon, head of the Pasig Action Center, said that the BCEO members were hurt after residents hit them with wooden planks.

The police, meanwhile, arrested 14 of the residents who would be charged by the city government with direct assault and disobedience.

They were identified as Juanich, Richie Galoy, Randy Banez, Mark Kreeger Bonagua, Mark Joseph Pimentel, Roy Pimentel, Leopoldo Santos Jr., Roy Argote, Robin Oguing, Edwin Manango, Arnel Santelices, Gregoria Barro, Win Manango, Darius Daria, Arnulfo Soriano, and Sammy Tamagos.

The clash between the two groups started at around 9 a.m. yesterday at the Mabuhay Creek (also known as Morales Pader) near East Bank Road at the Manggahan Floodway in Pasig City after the residents refused to leave their houses and move to a resettlement area in Calauan, Laguna.

A dialogue was held but several hours later, both sides still refused to budge. The residents only yielded after the demolition team hosed them down with a water cannon, leading to the demolition of over 100 houses.

Luis Quibal, the president of Samahang Unlad Nagsisikap sa Morales Pader, said that 174 families were affected by yesterday’s operation and that none of them had accept-
ed the relocation offer.

According to De Leon, the demolition was part of the city government’s plan to rehabilitate the floodway by constructing a riprap alongside the creek and other connecting bodies of water.

“It has been the plan three years ago even before (Tropical Storm) ‘Ondoy’ hit the city. We notified them a month ago and prepared for their relocation [to] Laguna,” he added.

“Yes, they are giving us nice houses in Calauan. But where can we get our food?” Nora Gonzales, a 42-year-old vendor, told the Inquirer.

A resident of the area for the past 20 years, Gonzales said she had no plans of moving to Calauan even if her house was already gone. “Bahala na [I leave it to fate],” she said when asked what she planned to do next.