3 taon matapos ang Marawi siege, mga residente nasa temporary shelters pa rin

TATLONG taon matapos ang Marawi siege hindi pa rin naisasakatuparan ang rehabilitation program doon ng gobyerno roon.

“While the country fights the COVID-19 pandemic, the people of Marawi suffers twice in this crisis as they continue to be plagued by an outbreak of government delay and inefficiency in the rehabilitation and reconstruction of their homes three years after the 2017 siege,” ani House Deputy Speaker Mujiv Hataman.

Nanawagan si Hataman kay Pangulong Duterte na magpatupad ng revamp sa liderato ng Task Force Bangon Marawi (TFBM), ang inter-agency body na nangangasiwa sa Marawi Recovery, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Program (MRRRP).

Ang MRRRP ay itinayo noong Hunyo 28, 2017 at tatlong taon makalipas ay wala pa ring malaking nagagawang pagbabago sa lugar.

“Baka panahon na para balasahin o palitan ang pamunuan ng TFBM. It has been three years and still, the people of Marawi have yet to return to their homes. This is actionable negligence already on the part of TFBM,” ani Hataman. “A destroyed Marawi should not be the new normal. COVID-19 or not, the rehabilitation must go on. Construction is one activity that is the least susceptible to COVID-19 infection. It is done outdoors and workers by their nature are physically distanced from each other.”

May 17,000 residente ng Marawi ang hanggang ngayon ay nasa mga temporary shelters.

“Mag-aapat na taon nang nagra-Ramadan ang mahigit sa 17,000 na taga-Marawi sa mga temporary shelters ng gobyerno, at mas marami pa sa kanila ang nakikitira sa mga kamag-anak sa iba’t ibang bahagi ng Mindanao. Sana naman ay makauwi na sila sa kanilang mga tahanan bago matapos ang taon.”

Mayo 23, 2017 ng salakayin ng mga terorista ang Marawi.

“Rehabilitation should move faster than the virus. Long before this plan to flatten the curve, Marawi was already flattened by bombs. No other city has suffered these three in succession: war, virus and now hunger. Just imagine being in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic and you cannot even stay under the protection of your own home.”

Ayon sa ulat ng United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) may 25,355 pamilya (126,775 indibidwal) ang hindi pa rin nakababalik sa kanilang tirahan, kasama na ang 17,000 na nasa temporary shelters.

“How could we let people in Marawi suffer for three years? And until when are we going to prolong their agony? How do you sleep at night knowing that a lot of families are not in their homes for three years now? I hope the government gives them the utmost priority now.”

Ayon sa Department of Budget and Management (DBM) nakapagpalabas na ito ng P3.57 bilyon sa Task Force Bangon Marawi (TFBM) projects kasama na rito ang pondo para sa mass housing.

“And as we learned the hard way, the rehabilitation has been plagued with inefficiencies and delays, including the expiration of hundreds of millions of Marawi funds that could have been used to alleviate the conditions of the people. In fact, these April releases form part of the 2019 MRRRP funds na ngayon lang na-release at magagamit. Inuulit ko, tatlong taon na ito. Sana naman ay mapagtuunan na ng pansin ang mga taga-Marawi.”

Isinusulong ni Hataman sa Kamara de Representantes ang Marawi Compensation Bill.

“And the good news is that a Senate version has been filed and authored by Sens. Zubiri, Bong Go and three other senators. At desidido kaming ipasa ito para naman mabayaran ang mga taga-Marawi. Alam naming hindi matutumbasan ng halaga ang buhay at ari-arian na nawala sa kanila, pero kahit papano ay makakatulong ito pag naipasa sa Kongreso.”