Call for Marawi compensation remains as President Duterte delivers his last SONA
MANILA – Marawi war victims long for the promised compensation package for them to restart their lives.
This was the gist of a public forum held earlier today at Catholic-run DXMS – Radyo Bida in Cotabato City.
The outcry for the promised compensation remains as the imagery of death and destruction against a backdrop of poverty continue. There have been calls to postpone the election in the Bangsamoro.
In a statement from International Alert, they said rumblings about massive delays, poor planning and the lack of consultation amid allegations of corruption continue to hound the government since the beginning of the recovery effort. Different groups have called on the national leadership to recognize the rights of the internally displaced and make real the promise of just compensation.
It will be recalled, 15 civil society organizations (COS) and alliances in Marawi called on both houses of Congress to expedite the passage of the Marawi Compensation bill and called on the President to state clearly his support for compensation in his SONA.
“This is our plea to our president and lawmakers, to certify the passing of the compensation bill as urgent, so that we might have some justice for what happened in Marawi,” said Ding Cali, member of the recently-formed CSO Marawi Compensation Advocates (CSO-MCA) and director of the Kalimudan sa Ranao Foundation, Inc.
Saripada “Tong” Pacasum, Jr., member of the Marawi Reconstruction Conflict Watch (MRCW) dared aspiring and incumbent lawmakers to prove their commitment to help by working for the passage of the compensation bill.
He added if President Duterte truly cares about Mindanao and the Maranaos, he should move to pass the bill by calling on members of the Houses of Congress to pass the proposed measure. (Melo M. Acuña)
File photo of one of the damaged structures in Marawi City. (Melo M. Acuna)