Gov’t urged to take action as Marawi internal refugees face eviction
By FRANCK DICK ROSETE
Bulatlat.com
CAGAYAN DE ORO — Youth and religious groups staged a prayer protest in Cagayan de Oro, standing in solidarity with the thousands of internally displaced persons (IDPs) during the Marawi siege who are facing eviction threats from their temporary shelters.
They criticized the long-overdue rehabilitation of the affected areas during the five-month-long battle between government forces and the Maute Group in 2017, urging the current administration of President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. to address the urgent humanitarian concern.
According to the IDP-led group Reclaiming Marawi Movement, approximately 5,000 displaced families are subject to eviction before the end of this year due to the expiring contract between the government and private landowners for the establishment of these shelters.
Hirang ng Hiraya, a youth-led environmental group, spearheaded the interfaith prayer movement held at the state-run University of Science and Technology of Southern Philippines (USTP) on Saturday, December 14, following its participation in a peace caravan conducted in the Islamic city on December 4, where they personally witnessed the lamentable situation of the siege victims.
“They rejoice when it rains because there is no water connection. Also, they have no proper comfort rooms. Imagine, they endured that in 7 years,” said Irene Jan Udtohan of Hirang ng Hiraya.
The group coordinated with the Reclaiming Marawi Movement to surface the appeal outside the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
Among the groups that joined the prayer protest are the Interfaith Forum of Peace, Harmony, and Solidarity (IFPHS), the Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro, the United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP), Interfaith Youth Cagayan de Oro, the Muslim Youth Council of Cagayan de Oro, and the Al-Raid Muslim Student Organization of USTP.
Read: Meranaws lament government’s empty promises 4 years after Marawi siege
The IDP-led group also launched an online petition, aiming to gather signatures to support their appeal, which includes urging Senator Pia Cayetano, chairperson of the Accountability of Public Officers & Blue Ribbon Committee, to conduct an independent inquiry on Marawi rehabilitation to hasten the IDPs’ comeback.
The most affected areas (MAA) during the Marawi siege are composed of 24 barangays, while another eight villages were considered as other affected areas (OAA).
In June this year, members of the Ad Hoc Committee on Marawi Rehabilitation and Victims’ Compensation in the House of Representatives visited Marawi for a public hearing. Invited officials from various government agencies noted that housing, water supply, electricity, and sewerage systems were among the top challenges in the rehabilitation.
An IDP representative revealed during the same public hearing that they are now paying rents—ranging from P500 to P2,000 (US$8.52-34.08) per month—for the private land where their temporary shelters are built. Hence, they urged the government to provide them with permanent housing.
On November 28, Marcos Jr. issued Executive Order No. 78, creating the Office of the Presidential Adviser for Marawi Rehabilitation and Development to fast track the completion.
Read: Future remains uncertain for Marawi evacuees
Pastor Joshua Job Salva of UCCP Central Mindanao stressed the necessity of bringing back the IDPs to their original places as part of their recovering process, emphasizing that extending the contract of their temporary shelters also lengthens their agony.
He also stressed that the government should maintain its focus on matters that affect the ordinary people. “These concerns faced by our brothers and sisters in Marawi deserve attention by our government. They should only not brawl over confidential funds.”
Amirah Lidasan, co-chairperson of indigenous peoples and moro rights group Sandugo, slammed the eviction threat faced by displaced families, recalling similar incidents in 2022 where the five-year contract of some temporary shelters expired, causing many IDPs to pay rents for staying.
“That’s a total injustice to the Marawi residents,” Lidasan told Bulatlat.
She reminded the government of its duty in providing permanent housing to the displaced people after the 2017 war. “They had already been displaced from their residences in Marawi; now they would be displaced from their temporary shelters.”
The now-defunct Task Force Bangon Marawi initially targeted completion in December 2021. However, based on most recent media reports, the rehabilitation is still over 80 percent complete.
On the other hand, Hirang ng Hiraya also noted that many of the victims have yet to receive their monetary compensation under the Marawi Siege Victims Compensation Act of 2022. Its internal rules and regulations (IRR) were signed in May 2023.
As of November 30, the Marawi Compensation Board, the government body tasked with awarding the monetary assistance, recorded a total of 1,114 approved and 117 consolidated claims since its inception, totalling over P1.9 billion. However, they only awarded 496 claims worth over P841 million so far.
The concerned groups urged the public to also stand in solidarity with the Marawi siege victims and amplify their voices by signing the online petition to prevent their eviction amid these challenging times. (RTS, RVO)
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