40 hurt during demolition of shanties

Manila: Former President Joseph Estrada pacified angry residents yesterday as 40 people — including old people, children and a city official — were injured when a government team demolished shanties to give way for road widening and reconstruction of a new government office.

"I am here so that people will not hurt each other. We want to avoid trouble. Only those who were scheduled for relocation will be transferred to their new homes now. The [local] government needs this space [for a project]," Estrada said when he met restive residents along P. Narciso street and Pinaglabanan Shrine in Corazon de Jesus village, suburban San Juan.

Protests

Danilo Mercado, engineer of San Juan City, was hit in the head when residents barricaded roads, threw glass bottles, bricks and water at the policemen who accompanied the local government's demolition team.