Violence in Baclaran

A 25-year-old man was killed while a driver of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) was injured as violence erupted during a clearing operation of illegal sidewalk vendors in Baclaran, Parañaque City yesterday afternoon.

Police identified the fatality as Moon Baseron and the injured MMDA driver as Alex Luma, 23.

It has yet to be established if Baseron was a sidewalk vendor but according to a radio report, he had arrived in Manila from Mindanao only last Thursday.

Baseron died of a gunshot wound on the chest at around 5 p.m. while undergoing treatment at the San Juan De Dios Hospital, said Senior Police Officer (SPO) 4 Antonio Batula of the Parañaque police assigned in Baclaran.

Batula said police are still investigating if the victim was hit by a stray bullet or was deliberately shot. A gunman has yet to be identified.

The clash between the illegal vendors, reportedly comprised mostly of Muslims, and around 40 MMDA personnel happened shortly after 4 p.m., Batula said.

The MMDA conducted a clearing operation at the seawall of the southbound lane of Roxas Boulevard, where some 50 illegal vendors were staying under the pedestrian overpass across the Redemptorist Church.

As the MMDA drove away the illegal vendors and confiscated their goods, rocks were suddenly thrown at them.

This started the fracas between the MMDA and the illegal vendors, who admitted in an interview over dzMM that they tried to grab back their confiscated goods. Gunshots also rang out.

The illegal vendors told dzMM that they were running to all directions and were shot at by the MMDA "like chickens."

But Bobby Esquivel, head of the MMDA sidewalk clearing operation group, maintained that the MMDA’s police escorts did not fire at the illegal vendors.

"We were the ones who came under fire. They were shooting from all directions," Esquivel, who witnessed the incident, said.

Esquivel added that a shirtless man throwing rocks at the MMDA and the police escorts suddenly fell to the ground. The man was presumably Baseron.

"They (vendors) most likely hit one of their own," Esquivel said. He added that aside from Luma, several others from the MMDA team sustained injuries but they did not seek treatment from a hospital anymore.

Esquivel estimated that the clash went on for about 30 minutes, halting traffic on Roxas Boulevard.

Last summer, the MMDA conducted an intensive clearing in the vicinity of the church and has maintained it free of illegal vendors. However, illegal vendors continued to occupy Taft Avenue Extension, under the LRT Baclaran Station.

Esquivel also admitted that the MMDA has been having a difficult time clearing that particular portion of Roxas Boulevard because the illegal vendors were armed and would always attack the MMDA.

In an interview with dzMM, an exasperated Parañaque City Mayor Joey Marquez said the illegal vendors never approved of the alternatives offered to them by the city government.

"They do what they want to do. We have been offering them alternative sites but they want to sell in the middle of the street or right in front of the church. We also suggested a night market where they could sell in the streets from 8 p.m. to 4 a.m. but they said there won’t be any customers at those times," Marquez said in Filipino.

For his part, MMDA General Manager Robert Nacianceno recounted one incident when he and MMDA Chairman Bayani Fernando visited Baclaran and heard "warning shots" from the illegal vendors.

"Most of these vendors are not from Metro Manila and these are the ones who have the tendency to fight it out," Nacianceno said.

Nacianceno added that after this incident, there should be a renewed effort to clear the area, as well as Taft Avenue Extension, of illegal vendors, who never tire of the cat-and-mouse game they play with the MMDA.