Leni seeks prayers for slain Marawi troopers

MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Leni Robredo has urged Filipinos to offer prayers for soldiers who died in the five-month battle between government forces and the Islamic State-inspired Maute terror group in Marawi City.

“Let’s use this occasion to thank them and their families for their sacrifices to achieve peace in Marawi,” Robredo said in her message for this year’s commemoration of All Saints’ Day.

Robredo is set to visit Marawi in the coming days to personally check the needs of residents who returned from evacuation centers.

She said she would meet with Angat Buhay partners before flying to Marawi. Angat Buhay is the Office of the Vice President’s anti-poverty program.

Robredo said her chief of staff Undersecretary Philip Dy had met with officials from Task Force Bangon Marawi and the local government to discuss areas of collaboration.

Reports said about 300,000 people were forced to evacuate their homes and stay in temporary shelters outside the city as hostilities broke out last May 23.

President Duterte placed the whole of Mindanao under martial law following the siege.

Preserving the ruins

Robredo clarified her earlier suggestion to preserve the ruins of the war-torn city, saying it came from renowned urban planner Jun Palafox.

“For me, I think this is worth looking into. But we’re not pushing for it,” she said, noting the importance of the ruins in the country’s history.

“One example of what can be preserved is the biggest mosque in the battle-ridden city,” Robredo said.

The Vice President drew flak for the proposal but said the ruins could serve as a lesson on terrorism and the cultural divide.

In an interview last Oct. 24, Robredo suggested the preservation of city ruins to stand as a monument for the soldiers’ bravery.

A total of 165 government troops were killed in the five-month battle in Marawi, along with 47 civilians and 920 terrorists.

President Duterte had said rebuilding Marawi would cost more than P50 billion.

Rehabilitation czar

Spain commended the Philippines’ recent victory against the terrorists in Marawi and proposed stronger cooperation between the two countries in fighting terrorism.

Spain’s Secretary of State for Foreign Policy Ildefonso Castro conveyed this message to Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Policy Enrique Manalo at the 4th Philippines-Spain political consultations held recently.

During the meeting, discussions between the two sides also covered a wide range of areas for bilateral cooperation.

For lawmakers, economic managers of the Duterte administration should spearhead and craft a mini-Marshall Plan for purposes of rebuilding and rehabilitating Marawi.

A plan similar to the massive reconstruction effort initiated by the US to aid Europe after World War II would supercharge growth and development not just in Marawi, but also in the entire Mindanao region, according to Camarines Sur Rep. LRay Villafuerte. 

“The original Marshall Plan was effective in propelling the growth of European economies because the nations who took part decided for themselves how to put the funding to best use. The same should be done in coming up with a mini-Marshall Plan for Marawi,” he said.

The administration lawmaker estimated the rehabilitation cost to exceed P90 billion. 

Allies of President Duterte in the House of Representatives have also called on the Chief Executive to appoint a czar whose only mandate is to ensure the rebuilding and rehabilitation of the war-torn city.

“Appointing a rehab czar will mean that there is a single person accountable to the people for the speedy and cost effective rehabilitation of Marawi,” Parañaque City Rep. Gus Tambunting, chairman of the House committee on games and amusement, said.

“We have to give our full support for the recovery, rehabilitation and rebuilding effort in Marawi because this is another bigger task that we have to accomplish,” House Deputy Speaker Raneo Abu, for his part, said.

Quezon City Rep. Winston Castelo, who heads the House committee on Metro Manila development, said the rebuilding of Marawi should be well-planned by ensuring proper zoning and forward-looking infrastructure.

“Rather than just construct and build at will, the administration should get the services of urban master planners to build an entirely new and well-planned city out of the rubble of war,” he suggested.

His colleague, Quezon City Rep. Alfred Vargas, appealed to Filipinos to support the government in rebuilding Marawi and join the nation’s efforts in helping its Muslim brothers recover from their recent trials. 

Leyte Rep. Yedda Marie Romualdez made the same pitch, stressing the more productive endeavor now is to guarantee the continued relief and assistance during the rehabilitation program. 

“Let us stand united behind President Duterte who is doing his very best to fight terrorists in Marawi City,” Romualdez, vice chair of the House committee on government enterprises and privatization, said.

Romualdez reiterated her call for the passage of a consolidated bill seeking to create a new department that would exclusively focus on disaster response that will help expedite the massive and well-organized reconstruction of Marawi.  – With Pia Lee-Brago, Delon Porcalla