Manila residents appeal impending demolition

MANILA, Philippines - A group of informal settlers on Monday asked Mayor Joseph Estrada to stop the pending demolition of houses in R-10 Manila in preparation for a road widening project and the construction of a parking area for cargo trucks in the area.

Members of the Samahan ng mga Magkakapit-Bahay sa Road 10 said Estrada had promised not to demolish their homes when he was still campaigning for the mayoralty post.

"We strongly challenge Manila City Mayor Joseph Estrada to be true to his words on his 10-Point Agenda during the election campaign period early this year that he will not allow even a single resident of Tondo to be pushed away of their communities and in any case of demolition, an in-city relocation will be staged," group president Mary Ann Florendo said.

"Now is the time for Mayor Erap to take side of his constituents and block all moves and attempts of the national government and big businesses to push us away of the city. We are optimistic that our local government will be brave enough to stand for the best interests of its people," she added.

The members of the urban group also vowed that they will stage a series of protests starting Monday to oppose the demolition of their homes.

They said that they will remain watchful and vigilant in defending their homes against any form of demolitions.

The group earlier announced that they already received a 30-day notice of demolition from the Department of Public Works and Highways.