The Philippine officials in Metro Manila will have tens of thousands of shanties demolished near a big lake close to Manila due to deteriorating water pollution by the squatters, reported local television network GMA News on Sunday.
The shanties belonging to an estimated 32,000 squatter families along the shoreline of Laguna Lake, which borders Pasig and Taguigcities of Metro Manila, will soon be demolished to save the lake from further deterioration, said the report.
Officials said the shoreline of Laguna Lake stretches a total of 280 kilometers. It is the largest lake in the Philippines and the second largest inland freshwater lake in Southeast Asia.
Officials are also asking the Congress to amend its charter and give local officials "police power" to demolish the shanties.
The existing laws forbid officials from demolishing shanties without compensating the squatters with money or living shelters.
Hundreds of thousands of squatters live in the Metro Manila area known for water and air pollution, poor sanitation situation, frequent fires and over-crowdedness in many areas.
Source: Xinhua
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