Police in Quezon City, a suburb of the Philippine capital Manila, have enforced a demolition order, clearing a shanty town of around 50 homes to make way for a road-widening project. <br /><br />Many of the families living in the town said nobody told them about the order. The local government said it advised residents to evacuate beforehand. <br /><br />Residents built a makeshift barrier out of their belongings in an attempt to fend off the demolition attempt.<br /><br />The 50 affected families will be transferred to a resettlement site with electricity but no water supply.<br /><br />One local resident, Josie Lopez, explained what happened: “They threw tear gas at us and forced us out of our homes. Then they started destroying our houses as you can see,” she said.<br /><br />Her neighbour, Alexander Rosal, is concerned: “We will be sleeping on the streets tonight and it’s difficult with the weather being so unpredictable. I am just worried for the welfare of my family, especially my children who are so young,” he said.<br /><br />Slum resident Encar, who has been living in the shanty community for 26 years, said the police used excessive force.<br /><br />“They are using too much force! They are harassing the masses. They are abusing the common people,“ she said.<br /><br />Several slum communities around Manila have been cleared in the past year to make way for infastructure and property projects.
