Erap intervenes in violent San Juan demolition

Former President Joseph Estrada intervened in a heated confrontation between police and residents of Barangay Corazon de Jesus in San Juan, where a demolition was being carried out. "Kaya ako nandito, ayokong magkasakitan. Iniiwasan natin yung gulo. Kayo dito, hindi naman kayo maapektuhan pa. Yung mga andun na ilang pamilya lamang, nakahanda na yung paglilipatan nila. Kakailanganin 'yan ng gobyerno eh," Estrada said to the residents. The former president, who served as San Juan mayor for nearly 17 years, explained that the government had already negotiated with the affected families. A new city hall is set to be built on the demolition site, which is government-owned. The city's current mayor is Guia Gomez, to whom Estrada has a son — Rep. JV Ejercito. Meanwhile, the 103 affected families will be relocated to Montalban, Rizal. But residents complained that the relocation site is far from their places of work and schools. Though the affected families had already been notified, they threw bottles and rocks at the demolition team, which fought back by spraying the residents with water from a firehose.

A GMA Flash Report said the police also used teargas, which affected several people including children and elderly residents who were hiding inside their houses. Even residents not included in the operation were affected by the teargas. Members of the demolition team as well as some residents were injured in the incident. Estrada said he would have the police ground commander investigated for the use of teargas in areas not included in the demolition site. After things calmed down, the demolition pushed through as planned. Meanwhile a press conference was being held in the nearby Pinaglabanan Shrine where Ejercito reiterated that the residents would not be left homeless. He added that the San Juan government would gather the affected residents in a meeting, where the relocation would be explained to them. — Carmela Lapeña/RSJ, GMANews.TV