Facing demolition, Tondo residents urge CHR probe into harassment

MANILA, Philippines – Residents of Smokey Mountain and other parts of Tondo, Manila, called on the Commission on Human Rights on Monday, June 29, to conduct an independent investigation into alleged harassment linked to the development of a waste-to-energy (WTE) plant at the former dumpsite.

Residents, who formed the Manila Anti-Incinerator Alliance with environmental advocates, said in a petition that private guards had fired a gun in the area and pointed a gun at a resident. They also alleged harassment, threats, and the forced demolition of homes.

Residents of Upper Smokey Mountain are facing demolition to make way for a proposed WTE facility on the site where they now live. The project is being developed by construction firm R-II Builders Incorporated, led by businessman Reghis Romero II.

“Sana mapatawag ng CHR ang R-II builders, ang aming barangay, at kung sino man ang sangkot sa WTE at kung sino man ang nag-uutos na magkaroon ng pang-ha-harass sa aming komunidad,” Anora Madrid of Samahan ng Maralita sa Smokey Mountain told Rappler outside the premises.

(We hope the CHR summons R-II Builders, our village, whoever is in charge of the WTE project and is ordering the harassment in our community.)

Some of the people residing in Barangay 128 – a village encircling the mound that is Smokey Mountain – have been informed of the project. In Barangay 128 are tenements built for residents whose homes were demolished during the 1995 dumpsite closure.

“Ang kanilang presensya at mga kilos ay naging instrumento ng intimidasyon laban sa mga residente na nagpapahayag ng kanilang pagtutol sa proyekto,” the petition read. (Their presence and actions are instruments of intimidation against residents who are only expressing their opposition to the project.)

Before going to the CHR headquarters, the residents held a protest outside R-II Builders’ office in Diliman, Quezon City, and the main office of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

Many residents say the WTE project would threaten not only their homes but also their livelihoods. Farming is one of the community’s sources of income in Upper Smokey Mountain. The area has faced repeated demolitions since the closure of the former Smokey Mountain dumpsite in 1995.

It has been nearly a year since residents marched to Manila City Hall to protest the planned demolitions in Smokey Mountain. They said they have yet to hear from Manila City Mayor Francisco “Isko” Moreno Domagoso, who grew up in the Tondo slums. – Rappler.com