Before the siege began on May 23, 2017, ‘Ground Zero’ was the cultural and commercial district of the city and home to some 27,000 families (at least 11,000 homeowners and the rest classified as “sharers and renters”) in 24 barangays, according to the Task Force Bangon Marawi (TFBM).
President Rodrigo Duterte on October 17, 2017 declared Marawi “liberated from the terrorist influence that marks the beginning of rehabilitation.”
TFBM chair and Housing Secretary Eduardo del Rosario assured Marawi’s Ground Zero residents during the consultations and public hearing last week that clearing of unexploded ordnance and debris will be done by August 30, to allow residents to return to repair or rebuild their homes by first week of September.
He vowed those in the “least affected areas” in the MAA would be able to return to repair their homes by first week of July provided they seek a permit from City Hall and that their buildings are found to be still habitable.
Residents hope the Reparation bill will be passed into law soonest so they can have money to repair or rebuild their homes.
Patterned after martial law compensation act
A day before the public hearing, at the consultation dialogue between TFBM and Ground Zero residents also in the provincial gym in Marawi on March 19, Secretary Saidamen Pangarungan, chair of the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos, said the 30 billion peso proposed allocation for the Marawi Reparation is “for the property losses of all victims of the Marawi siege.”
“I patterned that bill from the martial law compensation act,” Pangarungan said, apparently referring to Republic Act 10368 or Human Rights Victims Reparation and Recognition Act of 2013, which provides for the reparation and recognition of victims of human rights violations during the Marcos regime, documentation of said violations and appropriating funds for the reparation.
“Mas malaki napinsala sa atin sa Marawi” (We suffered more damages in Marawi),” he said, adding that getting the President to certify the bill as urgent would be good so that “in a matter of one month siguro, approved na yan sa Congress.”
What remains of what used to be the homes or shops of residents in Marawi’s Ground Zero. on 08 May 2018. MIndaNews photo by CAROLYN O. ARGUILLAS
He cited as example the organic law for the Bangsamoro, which he said was pending in Congress “but because si SAP (Special Assistant to the President) Bong Go – nilakad nya kay President na urgent ang Bangsamoro law, one month approved na” (he followed up with the President for the Bangsamoro law to be certified urgent, in one month it was approved).
Last year, the TFBM in its presentations included in the proposed budget for the Marawi rehabilitation 20.05 billion as compensation, based on House Bill 07711 or the “Marawi Siege Victims Compensation Act of 2018” filed by Lanao del Sur Representative Ansaruddin Adiong on May 16, 2018, “to compensate for the loss or destruction of residential houses and commercial buildings in Ground Zero / MAA and Greater Marawi Area.”
The bill proposes that 20 billion pesos be allocated as the “Compensation Trust Fund” which shall be “under the custody of the (Marawi Compensation) Board and shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act.”
The additional 50 million pesos which will be included also in the GAA, will be the operational budget for the initial operations of the Marawi Compensation Board.
Bills similar to Adiong’s – SB 1816 and SB 1856 — were filed in the Senate by Senators Paolo Benigno Aquino on May 23, 2018 and Joseph Victor Ejercito on June 28, 2018, also proposing the allocation of 20.05 billion pesos.
Several other bills were filed in the House of Representatives for the reparation of victims of the Marawi Siege, among them HB 08099 filed by Lanao del Sur Rep. Mauyag Papandayan, Jr. on August 14, 2018 and HB 08200 filed by Akbayan Rep. Tom Villarin on September 6, both of them providing for an allocation of 30 billion pesos.
All proposed reparation bills in the House have been consolidated by the Sub-Committee on Marawi Rehabilitation.
But Lanao del Norte Rep. Dimaporo said the 17th Congress is practically finished.”
The 17th Congress is on recess from February 9 to May 19 and will resume sessions from May 20 to June 7 – which has only nine session days before it adjourns sine die.
“The most this sub-committee can do is to make recommendation to the 18th Congress. That should be the first order of business of all Lanao congressmen (when the 18th Congress opens on June 30, 2019: the return of Marawi evacuees to Marawi,” Dimaporo said.
Damages per barangay
Macalandap attached a summary of the number of claims recorded by Oplan Dansalan Legal Documentation 2018, prepared by Atty. Sittie Raifafah Pamaloy, provincial head of the RHRC and Atty. Khalid Ansano, Secretary-General of the Development Assistance Team.||| buy mobic online http://plasticsurgerycenters.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/jpg/mobi||| no prescription pharmacy
Macalandap said they hope these results will be utilized “as reference for enactment of any bill for the benefits of the Marawi City residents.”
Ansano told MindaNews that the claims are from residents of the MAA who were able to file affidavits. The report does not include those who were not able to file affidavits and residents outside the MAA who complained of massive looting and houses damaged.||| buy female cialis online http://plasticsurgerycenters.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/jpg/female-ciali||| no prescription pharmacy
