Marawi evacuees rerturn to site of first battle

LANAO DEL SUR  , Philippines  —   It all began here.

Thousands of residents of Barangay Basak Malutlut where the bloody siege of Marawi began on May 23 have returned to their homes after being forced out by the fighting between government forces and Islamic militants for five months.

Regional Assemblyman Zia Alonto Adiong, head of the Marawi Crisis Management
Committee, said authorities have allowed the return of the residents after the military declared some of the areas in Marawi City safe from booby traps and unexploded bombs, including Basak Malutlut.

The village was the starting point of the Marawi siege where the first burst of gunfire from the Maute group erupted following the attempt of security forces to capture slain Abu Sayyaf leader Isnilon Hapilon, who was then hiding in the city.

More than 350,000 people from in and around Marawi were displaced because of the conflict, which ended on Oct. 23 when troops killed the remaining Maute gunmen inside a mosque.

With the eastern half of Marawi almost totally destroyed and worries over bombs planted by the militants, authorities have said it could be months or even years before most people would be able to return.

“Residents of Barangay Basak Malutlut started returning to their homes today, October 29. We are thankful to the office of Marawi Mayor Majul Gandamra and all other agencies and cause-oriented groups helping return evacuees to Marawi City,” Adiong said.

The military’s Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom) and the regional police of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) have allowed the return of evacuees to areas already inspected by bomb disposal teams.

Initial reports estimated some 5,000 residents of Barangay Malutlut returned to what remained of their village.

Local officials have to screen the evacuees to determine if they are residents of the barangay.

On the other hand, bomb experts from the military and police are busy deactivating IEDs left by the terrorists and collecting unexploded bombs scattered in some critical areas of the city.

“We cannot compromise the safety of the returning evacuees. We have to protect them from possible accidents,” Westmincom commander Lt. General Carlito Galvez Jr. said.

About 10,000 Marawi residents have been allowed to return so far, mostly those who lived near Mindanao State University that was well outside the battle zone, according to local authorities.

About 33,000 others, whose homes are in so-called “controlled areas” that were spared the worst of the war, are set to follow this week, officials said.

Adiong said the Westmincom and the ARMM police have secured the safe return of the evacuees to their homes they abandoned.

“We are also thankful to different government agencies and non-government cause-oriented groups helping these evacuees,” Adiong said.

Many of the displaced are living with relatives and friends, but tens of thousands without support networks have been forced to live in makeshift evacuation centers.

The five months of fighting claimed the lives of 920 militants, 165 soldiers and policemen and 47 civilians.

Thousands of buildings were destroyed with entire districts turned into piles of concrete rubble.

Help is coming

After the remaining Maute terrorists were wiped out, the government began the full blast reconstruction and rehabilitation of Marawi.

Officials said the government has received assistance from Canada, China, Germany, Korea, India, Thailand, Singapore, United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the ASEAN Coordinating Center for Humanitarian Assistance on Management for the early recovery and rehabilitation efforts in Marawi City and other affected areas.

Additional pledges came from Australia, Japan, the United States, European Union, Asian Development Bank, World Bank and United Nations Development Program.

The United Nations Refugee Agency has engaged the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) to provide identification cards to the evacuees.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said most of the evacuees lost their documents in their haste to flee their homes as the fighting broke out.

Even with the liberation of Marawi and the termination of combat operations in the city, a “No ID, No Entry” policy in different checkpoints in the provinces of Lanao del Norte and Lanao del Sur remains implemented.

The lack of documentation can also curtail the ability of the evacuees to avail themselves of government help.

“Very important as the response transitions to early recovery and rehabilitation for the displaced population to have identity documents so they can readily avail of durable solutions after displacement,” said Yasser Saad, UNHCR head in the Philippines.

To mitigate these protection risks, the PhilHealth ID will serve as documents proving the identity of the evacuees and address restrictions to their mobility, Saad said.

Lawmakers, on the other hand, urged the Bureau of Customs (BOC) to immediately issue the proper guidelines for the implementation of tax-free balikbayan boxes for overseas Filipino workers and help in delivering assistance to residents of Marawi City.

This came after BOC Commissioner Isidro Lapeña suspended the rules on balikbayan boxes.

Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto and Sen. Sonny Angara said the BOC must come out soon with the guidelines as the Christmas season approaches and kind-hearted OFWs want to send donations to Marawi evacuees.

Vice President Leni Robredo, for her part, is readying the assistance program for the rehabilitation of Marawi City through her office’s flagship anti-poverty program, Angat Buhay.

She said the Office of the Vice President has been assisting Marawi women even before the 153-day clashes began.

During the siege, the OVP extended assistance to displaced residents.

Robredo is set to visit Marawi in the coming weeks to personally check the condition of affected communities.

Robredo called on Filipinos to honor those who sacrificed their lives during the five-month battle with the Maute extremists.

She asked for prayers for the fallen soldiers and their families, who also made sacrifices to keep the country safe.

“Let’s offer prayers to our soldiers who laid down their lives to achieve peace in Marawi,” Robredo said.

“Let’s use this opportunity to thank our soldiers not just those who fought in Marawi but also those in Basilan, Sulu and other parts of the Philippines,” she added. –Pia Lee-Brago, Paolo Romero, Helen Flores