materials of the vendors. On 27 March, at around 8:45 in the morning, more than 20 members of the
Department of Public Service (DPS, under the Local government of the City of Manila) arrived in 4
government vehicles in the vending area, and confiscate all the goods and livelihood equipments of the
vendors. DPS officials threatened vendors with a knife, punched a pregnant vendor and brutally harassed
the vendors. At around 10:00 am, the vendors went to the office of DPS to negotiate and to get the goods.
Instead of talking with the vendors, DPS official threatened to punch one of the vendors and slammed the
vendors with bad words. The vendors also trooped to the Office of Mayor Lim which resulted to release
the confiscated goods.
On 19 August in the morning, more than 120 joint forces of policemen, security forces and demolition
team arrived in the community of Factor Compound, Las Piñas City. The policemen released more than
ten (10) warning shots. The residents were all surprised and went out from their makeshift houses to see
what’s going on. This is the second incident of demolition. The first incident was on 6 August wherein
more than 200 houses, facilities and structures in the community were demolished by more than 500
policemen and SWAT and three buses of demolition team.
The second incident is worse. Policemen burned all the remaining lumber, scrap materials and makeshift
tents of the homeless residents. This is to make sure that they cannot construct a shelter inside their
former community or they will not come back again inside the community. Lucila Bunayog one of the
resident saw how policemen burned her house while they were still inside and her baby was sleeping in the
cradle. She rushed and went outside to save her family. They even heard policemen laughing while doing
the demolition and burning of houses. A backhoe was also used to crush everything in the community.
Later the community was fenced with barbed wire and closely guarded by private security forces armed
with shotguns.
Rural poor faced the same inhumane condition brought by demolition and forced eviction. On 3July
2014, 25 buses of demolition team and more than two thousand joint forces of Armed Forces of the
Philippines, Philippine National Police and Special Weapons and Tactics demolished the fishing and
agricultural community of 600 families in Sitio Balagbacan, Laiya, Batangas. Not a single house was spared.
All were crushed and flattened including small fruit trees and vegetables. For the residents, the incident was
worse than the strongest typhoon Haiyan which hit the Philippines last year. On 28 August, the homeless
families are threatened with clearing operation of their makeshift tents.
“Our livelihood is in the sea. It’s like a fish place in the plains with no water which cannot breath. No one
owns the sea. The sea is for everyone.” said Elsie Lucero, one of the residents. Immediately after the
demolition, the community was fenced with barbed wires. More than 160 private armed security forces
were deployed to guard the community. Police and military are regularly monitoring the area. The residents
are not allowed to enter the vicinity or to fetch water from their wells. The way going to the sea was fully
guarded and anyone who will try to enter is threatened with guns from the security forces. The fishermen
are not allowed to fish and place their boats in the shores adjacent to the demolished community.
The demolished families built makeshift tents in the national high way. No access to water, electricity and
other basic needs. Many of the children were traumatized and some have lost their interest going back to
school. A relocation site was offered to the residents but majority refused to accept it because it is not
relocation that they are fighting but their right to the community. In addition the relocation site offered by
the developer is temporary, far from the sea and farming is not allowed.
“You are on your own.” This is the statement of San Juan, Batangas Mayor Rodolfo Manalo as a response
to the appeal of the homeless residents to restore their homes and their livelihood. The governor of the
province, Governor Vilma Santos Recto also ignored the request of the residents for a dialogue even
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