Duterte takes aim at Marawi rehab critics in weekly COVID-19 address
MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte at an address supposedly for the country's coronavirus response took aim at groups lamenting the government's seemingly slow reconstruction efforts to rebuild the war-torn city of Marawi, three years since its "liberation."
A watchdog earlier said that "there is no real liberation to speak of" with many still remaining in evacuation shelters and billions of funds yet to be released.
"The sad fact remains that progress is slow, funds are lacking, and implementation could be improved," the Marawi Reconstruction Conflict Watch said. "The sad fact remains that progress is slow, funds are lacking, and implementation could be improved."
Such had caught the ire of Duterte among other things he had mentioned in his speech, including once again, his war on drugs.
"There are people complaining in Marawi. You know, it's not that easy," he said. "We started it and we are already at it."
Duterte added that clearing lands of explosives as well as settling titles are among the factors prolonging the rehabilitation efforts. But he has said that such will continue until "Marawi is rebuilt to its former glory."
Three years since he declared the city liberated from Islamic State-inspired terrorists Maute, some P22.2 billion had only been released for reconstruction, out of the P60.5 billion total required.
His human settlements secretary, Eduardo del Rosario, had also vowed that rebuilding will be completed within the present administration.
"It might take some time to really reach the place you'd call home," Duterte said. "You're using the word liberation. But we never said that it is occupied by anybody except by the government and peace-loving Filipinos."
The Asian Development Bank had put the cost of damage in the war-torn city at P11.5 billion, with losses at P7 billion.
For the conflict that stretched on for five months in 2017, nearly 370,000 had been displaced, with over a thousand casualties from both government and rebel forces.
"Of course it is not freed by the activities of the terrorists, but if you're talking about liberation, that's already been done at the expense of blood on both sides," Duterte said.
At a Palace briefing earlier, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said that while Duterte is satisfied with the progress, he would "appreciate it" if the said efforts would be hastened.
Vice President Leni Robredo releases a statement a year after the siege in Marawi. She says that even though the battle has ended, the fight to bring back to normal the lives and livelihood of Marawi residents continues.
"Marami pa ring pamilya ang walang permanenteng bahay at maayos na hanapbuhay. Maraming mga mamamayan ang nangangailangan pa rin ng ayuda," she says.
"Sinimulan na ng pamahalaan ang proseso ng rehabilitasyon. Nakiisa ang ating opisina rito sa pagtayo ng Angat Buhay Village sa Barangay Sagongsongan, sa Marawi, na magsisilbing kabahagi ng mga transitory shelter para sa mga nawalan ng tahanan sa pinakanasalantang bahagi ng Marawi. Mahalaga ang mga pagkilos na ito, at marami pang kailangang gawin para makabangon nang tuluyan muli ang Marawi."
Bahagi nito ang pagkilala na maliban sa mga gusaling nagiba at buhay na nasira, kailangang pangalagaan ang boses ng mga taga-Marawi sa pagsasagawa ng rehabilitasyon. Ang tinig na pinakamahalagang mapakinggan ay galing sa mga pamayanan na naapektuhan ng digmaan.
Marawi Reconstruction Conflict Watch, a partner of International Alert Philippines, thanks Sen. Ronald Dela Rosa for his reassurance that government has not forgotten the people of Marawi City, the site of intense fighting in 2017 between government forces and an ISIS-inspired terrorist group.
"We invite him to stand shoulder to shoulder with us in pushing for the urgent passage of the Marawi Compensation Bill. For us, the internally displaced peoples of Marawi, just compensation serves as our last hope to be able to rebuild our lives," MRCW also says.
Three years since its liberation, Vice Leni Robredo renews the call for a more urgent approach to the rehabilitation of war-torn Marawi.
The vice president also calls for the government's commitment to the rebuilding of a more peaceful and prosperous city.
"Liberation entails much more than silencing the gunfire," Robredo says.
Sen. Risa Hontiveros joins calls to highlight the plight of displaced residents of Marawi City more than three years after the siege that destroyed a large part of the capital of Lanao del Sur.
"The bloody and violent siege that took place in Marawi is still alive in the displacement of our sisters and brothers three years later, today. That is 1,095 days of worsening poverty and violence that they have suffered because we still have not made their pain a priority," she says in a statement Sunday.
She says the pandemic makes the displacement of Marawi resdients even more painful as they wait for reconstruction in the city.
"Dahil habang tayo ay nakakulong sa ating mga tahanan, karamihan sa kanila ay wala pa ring mauuwian (While we are confined to our homes, most of them still have no homes at all). Washing hands, social distancing, staying healthy and earning income despite everything are especially heavy when you have not even been given the opportunity to properly recover economically, socially and psychologically, from the trauma and pain of a bloody war."
The Liberal Party says Marawi residents should return to their homes three years after the bloody Marawi siege, also the eve of the Muslim celebration of the end of Ramadan, or Eid’l Fitr.
“Kasama kami sa ating mga kapatid na Muslim sa pagdiriwang ng Eid'l Fitr,” says Liberal Party president Sen. Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan.
“Kakaiba ang pagdiriwang ngayong taon, may lockdown at paghihigpit dahil sa sakit na COVID-19. Pinatindi nito ang hirap na dinadanas nila mula pa 2017. Naaalala pa natin ang mga nasirang buhay at kabuhayan ng mga kapatid nating Muslim. Hanggang ngayon, hindi pa nila naramdaman ang rehab ng gobyerno,” he adds.
There are 422 families living in nine evacuation centers and community-based centers in Marawi, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says in a Mindanao briefer citing December data.
"More than 10,000 families are home-based or staying with host communities according to the Task Force Bangon Marawi. Validation continues in informal ECs and community-based centers."
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