Violence erupts in Angeles City demolition; 8 wounded, 2 arrested

The demolition of a residential area in Barangay Anunas, Angeles City in Pampanga took a violent turn Tuesday as at least eight people were injured and two individuals were arrested by local authorities.

The confrontation between residents and the demolition team was marred by gunshots, throwing of rocks and glass, and burning of tires, among others.

Residents in the area told GMA Integrated News that they were stunned by the timing and brazenness of the demolition team's operation.

"Nu'ng kumukuha po ako ng gamit namin nakasilip po 'yung asawa ko kaso biglang pumasok po 'yung mga nagde-demolish. Tinutukan po bigla 'yung asawa ko ng baril apat po na lalaki," a crying woman said in Mark Salazar's report on 24 Oras.

(I was gathering our things, my husband was keeping watch, when the demolition team suddenly entered the premises. Four men pointed their guns at my husband.)

Another woman said, "Nu'ng putukan po tumakbo na ako dahil babae ako, wala akong laban. Tumakbo ako pabalik sa bahay. Maya-maya po narinig na namin ang putukan sa kabilang tulay naman, 'yung hinarangan don."

(When the shooting began, I ran because, a woman, I was defenseless. I ran back to my house. The next thing I knew, we heard the shooting at another bridge, where there was a barricade.)

Angeles Police Station 4 Acting Station Commander Police Major Vicky Tamayo said the injured casualties were five residents and three policemen. She said the Angeles City police arrested two gun-wielding residents who began firing at lawmen.

"'Yung dalawa [indibidwal na] may baril, inaresto ng kapulisan. Nanggaling du'n sa residente na pinapapaputukan ang ating kapulisan. Ongoing investigation ngayon, andun po sa station," Tamayo said in a phone interview with GMA News Online early Tuesday evening.

(The two [individuals] with guns have been arrested by the police. They were among the residents who shot at our police force. The investigation is ongoing at the police station.)

The 24 Oras report said the demolition was carried out easily because residents were fearful for their lives, and that they were only allowed to retrieve their belongings.

Condemned

Angeles City Mayor Carmelo Lazatin condemned the "surprise demolition," which he said was carried out by Clarkhills Properties Corporation.

The city government said in a statement that it would "press charges against those who attacked hapless unarmed civilians in the surprise demolition conducted by armed men."

Human rights group Karapatan, for its part, said it would conduct an investigation even as it called on the Angeles City government and Commission on Human Rights - San Fernando to launch their own probes into the incident.

"Ang pamamaril sa mga residente at magsasaka ay hindi makatarungan. Ang pinaka-basic sa karapatang pantao ay ang karapatan sa buhay. Walang katuwiran ang pandarahas ng korporasyon na kasama pa ang mga kapulisan sa implementasyon, sa halip mas may katwiran pa ang paglaban ng mga residente at magsasaka para ipagtanggol ang kanilang paninirahan at kabuhayan," Karapatan said in a statement sent to GMA News Online.

(Shooting at residents and farmers is unjust. The most basic human right is the right to live. There is no excuse for the harassment done by the corporation, along with the police, in the implementation. Instead, it makes more sense to fight for the residents and farmers' homes and livelihoods.)

Journalist now ‘safe’

The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) had issued a statement that a journalist, Olongapo City news anchor Rowena Quejada, was reported missing while covering the demolition.

Later in the day, however, NUJP announced that Quejada "has been found, and is now safe."

Asked what happened to Quejada, Tamayo said: "Ang sabi ng mga security guard ng Clarkhills, 'yung allegedly na media nagcocover kuno ay sumakay sa sasakyan ng alleged Koreano at umalis ng Balubad. Nagpaalam sa security guard kung pwede lumabas, pinalabas naman po sila."

(The Clarkhill security guards said that the alleged media covering the incident rode the car of an alleged Korean and left Balubad. She asked permission from the security guard to leave the area, which was allowed.)

According to the 24 Oras report, residents own some 73 hectares in the area by virtue of their certificate of land ownership award for agrarian reform.

The Department for Agrarian Reform (DAR) eventually voided the residents' ownership claim and awarded it to the private developer instead, the report added.

GMA Integrated News has reached out to the lawyer of Clarkhills Development but the latter has yet to make a response as of posting time. — VDV, GMA Integrated News