House panel chides Task Force Bangon Marawi over rehab plans

Members of the House Committee on Muslim Affairs on Wednesday chided the Task Force Bangon Marawi over its plans to rehabilitate Marawi City, a year after pro-Islamic State militants ravaged it.

During the panel's meeting, Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council Director Mylene Rivera presented the task force's proposed infrastructure projects.

These include a cultural center, a grand market, a plaza, a promenade, and an eco-corridor.

But House panel chair Mauyag Papandayan Jr. questioned the proposed projects, saying that there is no space in the city on which these would be built.

He said that for the task force to implements its plans, they have to use the land where the houses of the residents are previously built.

"Sabi ninyo, walang lupa na pwersahang kukunin? Now, pinakita niyo yung proposed development sa Marawi, sa most-affected area yun. Papaano mangyayari doon sa mga may-ari nung mga bahay na nasira? What will happen to them?" Papandayan said.

Civil Defense Deputy Administrator for Administration Kristoffer James Purisima explained that after consulting with various stakeholders, they have determined that there will be minimal disruption to private properties.

"If there is a need to expand certain roads, for example, then we'll undertake a process for that," he said.

Rivera made the same manifestation.

"Definitely no private land will be forcibly taken. We'll take into consideration, lumabas yun during consultation, there was apprehension from the people in terms of the location of these facilities, because the government land is limited inside the most-affected area," she said.

Considering that there are still ongoing consultations, Papandayan asked task force representatives if what they presented is the final plan.

"That's why based on our presentation, nothing is final yet. We're very open to suggestions from the stakeholders. That's why we're continuing with our consultations," Purisima replied.

The implementation of the project, however, would start by June 18, Papandayan pointed out.

"Paano kayo mag-start kung hindi pa pala final itong mga programs ninyo? Kailan maging final yan?" he asked.

"That's the purpose of the negotiation, to come up with a final plan including the locations. Candidly, if the negotiations are not done, given the ideal timeline that we are targeting, then of course, we would have to adjust," Purisima replied.

AMIN party-list Representative Amihilda Sangcopan, meanwhile, asked whether the panel has the number of the internally displaced persons whom the task force should have been consulting.

"You are mentioning about conducting consultations with stakeholders. And yet, that one slide presenting the most-affected area, you can't even put the figure as to the population. Ilan ba talaga ang apektado na nasa most-affected area?" she asked.

"In terms of displaced profiling of internally displaced persons, as of May 20, we still have 40 evacuation centers in ARMM and Region 10," Purisima replied, which houses more than 39,000 families.

Lanao Del Norte Representative Khalid Dimaporo expressed dismay over the output of the meeting, saying that the pace of the rehabilitation has been too slow.

"We are really appealing the Task Force Bangon Marawi to bring something to the table, something tangible already. We are in the rocks of passing the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) here and I feel very strongly about this, that if the problem of Marawi is not solved, the BBL will not solve the peace problem especially in Lanao," he said.

"That is a very painful experience to us. The Islamic City of Marawi is destroyed. Within the President's time, it should be rebuilt and the pace has been painstakingly too slow," he added.

Papandayan asked the task force to tell HUDCC chair Eduardo Del Rosario to attend the succeeding meetings of the panel.

"Please inform the Secretary to come. Otherwise we will be compelled to subpoena him," he told the task force. — BAP, GMA News