SPEAKER Pantaleon Alvarez on Wednesday night disclosed the decision of the House of Representatives’ leadership to create a trust fund to help the victims of the Marawi City crisis.
He said the House will take the initiative to provide immediate relief to the victims of the Marawi siege by the Maute group, a local terrorist group with reported links to Islamic State of Iraq and Syria.
“We have to do our part in sharing the heavy burden of what happened in Marawi City,” Alvarez said before the 17th Congress adjourned sine die.
In other developments:
• United States Ambassador to Manila Sung Kim said he was concerned over the fighting in the city of Marawi between Philippine forces and the Maute group.
Unicef Philippines also expressed concern at the well-being of the children affected by the conflict since May 23, which has left 24 civilians dead, including one child, and tens of thousands displaced.
“Remain concerned about developments in Marawi,” Sung said in his official twitter account.
“Deepest condolences to the families and friends of the victims.”
• The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office said Thursday it will give aid to all affected civilians and wounded soldiers in the ongoing crisis in Marawi city.
PCSO general manager Alexander Balutan said he would help the families and soldiers affected by the fighting by giving them relief and medical assistance.
“I directed them to help in case somebody will ask for help,” Balutan said.
• Terrorism is a demonic act and nothing can justify an ideology that asserts the morality of killing in the name of God, Cotabato Cardinal Orlando Quevedo said following the terror attack in Marawi City that has claimed hundreds of lives, including police and government soldiers.
“Terrorism has no God. The true believers in Islam have condemned this ideology, and this violence of terrorism is creating the greatest of fear and anxiety in Mindanao,” Quevedo said.
Alvarez did not say where the lawmakers will get the money for the trust fund.
He and his fellow Mindanaoans maintained that the martial law declaration of President Rodrigo Duterte had to be supported even as they also backed the House leadership’s fund-raising initiative for the Marawi siege victims.
“This will be our concerted answer to the challenge that extremists present. They seek to sow terror, but we will show them our courageous resolve,” Alvarez said.
“They seek to destroy, but we shall defend and rebuild. With our unified efforts, they will never win. Let us reiterate the timeless truth that hope will always prevail over hate,” Alvarez said.
On Wednesday, the House adopted Resolution 1050 sustaining President Duterte’s declaration of martial law in the entire Mindanao under Proclamation No. 216 following the recommendation from the House Committee of the Whole that received a briefing from Cabinet members on the controversial proclamation.
In adopting HR 1050, the House leadership said there was no compelling reason to revoke the martial law imposition of the President.
In a statement, the 62-member “Mindanao Bloc” said martial law was declared to suppress and prevent the rebellious acts of the Abu Sayyaf and the Maute group to ensure the safety and security of their fellow Mindanaoans.
Led by Alvarez, the Mindanao Bloc stressed that the violent activities of the Maute group had caused severe damage to the economy and the social fabric not only of Marawi City but the whole of Mindanao. With Sara Susanne D. Fabunan and Vito Barcelo