At least 2 hurt as violence mars demolition in Cebu

At least two people were reported injured as violence marred a demolition of houses near a creek in Mandaue City in Cebu Tuesday morning.

The demolition occurred at Sitio Mahayag in Barangay Subangdako in Mandaue City, GMA Cebu's Vic Serna reported.

Many of the residents had prayed the day would never come, but banded together to block the demolition team.

At first, the residents engaged the demolition team in a debate on the legalities of the demolition work.

But after a briefing, the demolition team returned with a fire truck as backup.

Hell then broke loose as stones and bottles were thrown while water cannons were trained on the barricades.

Injured in the violence were Elma Remedio and Elfie Cabaltera.

Carlo Ybanez of the city legal office said the demolition team exercised maximum tolerance.

Meanwhile, the Housing Development Office denied it did not give financial assistance to the affected families. The residents were to be relocated to a 6.5-hectare site in Barangay Paknaan in Mandaue City.

Some 153 houses at Sitio Mahayag were within the three-meter easement zone and were to be demolished. The first to be demolished was the house of association president Teopoldo Ybanez. Joel Locsin /LBG, GMA News

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At least 2 hurt as violence mars demolition in Cebu