This is one of those problems that won’t be over anytime soon.
On Tue morning, Jun 14, the informal settlers in Barangay Culiat, Quezon City clashed anew with policemen during a demolition of shanties in the area.
For the record, this is the fourth attempt to demolish the houses in the 2,000-square meter property that belongs to Alicia Picache and the rest of her family.
The demoltion is in accordance with the court order from the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 98.
“The residents of Pag-asa Compound, in particular, set up a barricade of wooden tables and tricycles along Luzon Avenue in an attempt to block the demolition team from reaching their homes. They also prepared a stash of bottles, rocks, human feces in plastic bags, and dirty water from the gutter to throw at the authorities,” reports ABS-CBN News.
Sometime after 8am, the demolition team managed to slowly advance towards the barricade even as the informal settlers hurled various objects at them. Some informal settlers hit the policemen with wooden clubs.
The report noted: “At least five people were wounded during the melee, including a resident who fought off the lawmen. An elderly woman and a newspaper photographer were also wounded after being hit by rocks.
“A member of the demolition team, meanwhile, fell from the roof of a house he was tearing down while another man accidentally stepped on a glass shard. Policemen eventually tore down the barricade.”
Naturally, Luzon Avenue was a mess after the clash. Traffic built up at a portion of the Luzon Avenue, from the Congressional Avenue up to the the Commonwealth Avenue.
We can imagine the informal settlers telling the cops: “See you at the next demolition attempt!”
