Gov’t mandated to rehabilitate Marawi City — opposition bets

It is the mandate of the government to spearhead the rehabilitation of conflict-stricken Marawi City, opposition senatorial candidates said on Thursday.

They stressed this point in response to President Rodrigo Duterte's remark that he will leave the reconstruction of the city to its affluent residents and businessmen.

"Mr. President, hindi po ba dapat kayo ang magbayad sa rehab ng Marawi imbes na ang mga taga-dito dahil sa inyo naman po galing ang desisyon, at hindi sa amin, na bombahin ang lungsod namin?" Marawi civic leader and senatorial candidate Samira Gutoc said in a statement.

"Marawi is your command responsibility, Mr. President.... There are no rich people in Marawi today, as most of the well-to-do families have decided to host evacuees," she added.

At a situation briefing on Tuesday, Duterte said he would not spent for the rebuilding of the Marawi City considering that there are rich families in the area.

“Marami man 'yang pera 'yang mga tao diyan. Every Maranao, there is a businessman. Kasali na 'yang shabu. May pera sila. The debate there is whether I would be also building the same kind that they lost. I don't think I am ready for that," he said.

The President also said the Marawi crisis was a "man-made calamity" bound to happen "because of what they were doing there."

Gutoc insisted that the it was not the Marawi residents' fault that their city was bombed and ravaged.

"Truth be told, dapat nga personal funds o sariling pera ni President Duterte ang gastusin niya because he gave the order to reduce our city to rubble in May 2017, without regard for the safety and well-being of its inhabitants," she said.

"Ngayon, after two years na walang rehabilitasyon and after promising funds for the purpose, bigla niyo pong sasabihing ‘bahala na kayo sa buhay niyo?’ Huwag naman pong ganun, Mr. President," she added.

Makabayan senatorial candidate Neri Colmenares echoed Gutoc's statement, saying that what the government should do is help rebuild Marawi City and not leave it to the private sector.

"If not, then the feeling that they were abandoned and left to fend for themselves by the national government would only be reinforced and may even lead to extremism," he said.

"They should just ensure that there would be no corruption and preferential treatment of Marawi City's rehabilitation," he added.

For his part, human rights lawyer and senatorial candidate Chel Diokno called for transparency in the reconstruction efforts in Marawi City.

“Andaming naghihirap sa Marawi. Andaming naghahanap sana ng tulong. Inaasahan nila na tutulong ang ating pamahalaan, pero parang walang laman naman ang mga salita ng ating pamahalaan,” he said.

“Ang tagal-tagal nang nangyari yung Marawi siege, pero bakit hanggang ngayon ay wala pa rin nangyayaring rehabilitation? Ang tagal-tagal na nyan, bakit hanggang ngayon ay parang wala namang dumarating na tulong sa kanila?” he asked.

The government should also heed the cry for help from Marawi City residents, Diokno said.

“Sana naman ay makinig ang national government sa mga pangangailangan ng mga taga-Marawi, at lalong-lalo na, na ibalik na sa kanila yung mga kabahayan nila na nasa loob ng Ground Zero para naman ma-rehabilitate na nang tunay ang Marawi City,” he said. — BM, GMA News