Protest of residents against the construction of a business district project in Sitio San Roque, in the North Triangle area of Quezon City has turned into a warzone early morning Friday.
At least a hundred residents were holding a camp-out vigil last night to protest the blocking of the main entrance into the community from Epifanio Delos Santos Avenue (EDSA). By midnight, at least 150 'blue guards' hired by the Ayala Land, Inc. (ALI) arrived and closed the entrance. Reports of residents said many of the guard were drunk, and were carrying long fire arms.
Other reports said gunshots from the side of the police were heard at around 1am as enraged residents threw rocks at bottles at the authorities. Authorities have failed to arrest any of the residents.
At around 9am, hundreds of residents reinforced the people's resistance led by a local chapter of urban poor group Kalipunan ng Damayang Mahihirap (KADAMAY). They easily destroyed the closure, and staged a 5-minute road blockade at the north bound lane of EDSA to air their protest.
According to Jocy Lopez, chair of KADAMAY-North Triangle, "The road blockade is their only way to have their demand heard by the President."
Lopez mentioned their first barricade at EDSA on September 23, 2010 which paralyzed the traffic at the thoroughfare for more than 7 hours. "Then, President Aquino ordered to stop the demolition of our homes," she said.
KADAMAY has called on the President Aquino and ALI withdrew the Quezon City Central Business District project. “Three years of people’s resistance to the QCCBD should bring the project back to its drawing board.”
No match
Meanwhile, Estrelieta 'Ka Inday' Bagasbas, chairwoman of a local alliance in North Triangle called September 23 Movement said "Ayala's blue guards and the police can try to close the gate anytime, but residents will destroy it again and again. Even if they are armed with high power rifles, they are still no match to the thousands of residents who have grown tired and angry of the abuses of the Aquino government."
Bagasbas estimates the number of families currently living at San Roque at around 7,000, down from its original number of more than 10,000 families before the National Housing Authority started the voluntary relocation of residents to Montalban, Rizal and San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan in 2010. But the leader said half of those who accepted the relocation offer have come back to San Roque.
"This government that only favors the interest of big businessmen like Ayala has taught us to become rebellious of the current system. Aquino has promised to provide us with decent shelter using billions of pesos of Informal Settler Fund (ISF), but only provided us with far-flung relocation sites that lack basic social services and employment opportunities," added Bagasbas.
Taken from the fund of the controversial Disbursement Acceleration Program, the Aquino administration has been dispensing the ISF worth P10B every year since 2011 to expedite the relocation of informal settlers.
Bigger protests ahead
Since September, urban poor group KADAMAY has been calling on the Commission on Audit to release its report on the ISF which the group claims has been misused by the Aquino administration.
KADAMAY also said it is gearing to mobilize thousands of urban poor from different communities nationwide for an anti-pork noise barrage on November 13 called Kalampagan Kontra Koruspsyon.
Meanwhile, North Triangle residents warned the President.
"While he remains dismissive of the people's clamor, we will not be satisfied with blocking EDSA for only 5 minutes. Next time, it will be a permanent barricade," said Bagasbas. ###
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