“Justice, this is what we demand”, tearfully said 80-year old Meno Manabilang of Marinaut town, the eldest of the group of evacuee resource persons at the Senate hearing by the Sub-Committee on Marawi Housing held yesterday.
He survived the aerial strikes after having stayed in the former war zone for three weeks. Ten billion pesos is proposed for Marawi but the shock came when TFBM (Task Force Bangon Marawi) said August was the end date for clearing of the Most Affected Area (MAA) .
The residents here have demanded to enter the said Ground Zero to salvage any belongings. The Senate convened a hearing yesterday (video is posted on Sen JV Ejercito FB), first ever called with concerned displaced persons (IDPs) as resource persons with Marawi City Mayor Majul Gandamra, TBFM, National Housing Authority, Department of Budget and Management, Army Engineering Unit among others.
Housing Committee chairperson Senator Gringo Honasan then emphasized the primacy of information and access. Senator Sherwin Gatchalian also reminded the TFBM and its allied agencies to give data on the damage, profiling of households among others.
TFBM replied that it is the Office of Civil Defense which concluded the post conflicts needs assessment (PCNA) last November. Gatchalian reminded this so they can give educated recommendations.[]