According to the residents of East Bank Manggahan Floodway in Brgy. Sta. Lucia, Pasig City, they were caught unprepared that the demolition today covered the entire community.
They have been repeatedly told by various government authorities that only the homes of those who volunteered for relocation or financial assistance would be demolished.
The demolition began in Purok 4 and 5 and would continue for three days until the rest of the community has been cleared.
Residents complained the demolition operations leading to this day had been an overkill. There were around 300 members of the demolition team and around 1,000 policemen.
Series of harassment from cops and elements of the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) were experienced by the residents in the past week. This culminated in a zoning and round-up operations in the community yesterday, October 17. Homes were searched, residents were made to show their IDs, and bottles and other materials were confiscated from the community. The police also threatened the people to not join the barricade or protest against the demolition today.
On August 31, the Pasig City police violently dispersed a protest against the demolition and arrested 41 Floodway residents, including 10 minors. They were detained for as long as nine days and charged only on the eighth day of their detention, past the 24-hour requirement of the law.
They also questioned the local government’s doggedness in pursuing the demolition and displacement of its own constituents for a project the people have not been made fully aware, as well as Pasig Mayor Robert ‘Bobby’ Eusebio’s refusal for a dialogue.
Gabriela Women’s Party Representative Arlene Brosas held a consultation in the community with residents affected by the sweep demolition operations at 6pm.
Residents told Brosas that the Pasig City local government hired minors to be part of the demolition team and were paid P350 for their service.
Brosas vowed to file a House Resolution to conduct an immediate Congressional probe on the issues raised by the residents.
Hundreds of demolished residents who refused to avail the financial assistance would sleep on the streets tonight.
No relocation was offered to most residents, except to a group accredited by the local government. Even the relocation for that group, the National Housing Authority low-rise building site at the embankment side of East Side, has not yet been completed.
The residents of Manggahan Floodway in the East and West Banks have been lobbying for another proclamation for the awarding of the public land to them, that the mayors of Cainta and Taytay in Rizal supported, but Pasig City had been trying to clear the community since August.
Balikwas Kadamay, the alliance of residents against the demolition, were gathering tents, food and other provisions for the victims of the demolition.
