Scores hurt in Quezon City demolition

QUEZON CITY, Philippines - Several people were hurt in Quezon City after tension erupted between market vendors, student protesters and members of the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) demolition team on Wednesday morning, a GMA News Flash report said. The report said the MMDA team trooped to the University of the Philippines' Wet and Dry Market along Commonwealth Avenue to dismantle stalls protruding along its sidewalks and onto the road. A separate radio report identified one casualty as Vince Marin, a 21-year-old Political Science student from UP, who was promptly taken to the nearby East Avenue Medical Center for treatment on his wounds. The report added that vendors demanded from the MMDA team a court order for the demolition but Roberto Esquivel, director of the MMDA Sidewalk Clearing Operation, replied that no such order is needed for instances involving "nuissance per se" or those that obviously obstruct sidewalks and roads. The vendors, however, refused to abandon their stalls, with two unidentified men reportedly hurling rocks at the approaching MMDA personnel. Joining the vendors were student protesters from UP, who also appealed to the demolition team not to shoo away the vendors or dismantle their market stalls. The reports added that a scuffle soon ensued, with some punches being thrown and some individuals being pushed, beaten, and shoved aside. Accidental injury? With blood gushing from his body, Marin claimed in a radio interview that he was hit with a gun by a member of the demolition team. "MMDA po humampas sa akin. May kinukuha po silang isang kasama namin. Tapos hinahatak ko lang siya tapos hinampas na ko ng baril sa liko," he said. Esquivel denied that they started the commotion, saying that one of his men could have just done that in retaliation. He also maintained that the student's injury was just accidental. "Hindi ko naman po makontrol ang damdamin ng mga tao ko kung sinasaktan na din sila. Hindi po kami pumunta rito para makipag-away... Kami po ang unang sinasaktan. Marami na po kaming taong nasasaktan, namamatay, o kaya ay nababaril," Esquivel said. The MMDA official maintained that they had informed the vendors' association about the demolition operation in January. Esquivel added that just yesterday (Tuesday), he had once again spoken with officials from the vendors' association, who have reconfirmed their agreement to have some of their stalls torn down. Esquivel also blasted UP students who tried to slip in the issue of the national broadband network deal mess into the demolition operation. "Mayroon pa silang sinisigaw na (Rodolfo) Jun Lozada. Ano kinalaman ni Jun Lozada dito?. Huwag na nilang gawing issue kasi ito. Huwag nila gawan ng malalimang isyu ito," Esquivel said. Part of a road widening project, Esquivel said that with the exit of illegal sidewalk vendors comes the putting up of bus stops in the area. He said they were not stripping the vendors of their source of income but were merely placing their stalls where it should be located. "Hindi po namin tinatanggal, ipinapasok lang po namin sa tamang sukat," Esquivel explained, adding that they will not tear down the entire market but just the stalls extending beyond electric posts. - Mark Merueñas, GMANews.TV