Amid the exodus of Marawi City residents from its 24 most affected barangays who were allowed to visit what was left of their homes in the city, a conflict has brewed between a government task force in charge of rebuilding the city and an organization of Marawi City residents.
Assistant Secretary Kristoffer James Purisima, spokesman of Task Force Bangon Marawi, denied the statement made by Sultan Abdul Atar, spokesperson of the Ranaw Multi-Sectoral Movement, who had slammed the task force for saying that they were not from Marawi.
Purisima had claimed on Monday that residents of the war-torn city were not consulted on the government’s planned reconstruction of their hometown, and that those who oppose the government’s plan to construct an “eco-zone” and military camp in the city are not its residents.
“Most of those na umo-oppose are not residents. In fact if you talk to the residents, they are in favor of the military camp kasi they want security,” he told a television interview. “It’s like opposition for opposition's sake.”
Purisima added that consultations with local government officials, traditional and religious leaders, and even the “bakwits” or the internally displaced Maranaos are ongoing.
Purisima also said that the task force is only consulting the local government and not thePu residents themselves.
But Sultan Atar rejected Purisima’s claims.
“These people—Task Force Bangon Marawi—should study the genealogy of the Maranaos. All of the Maranaos are connected to one another. All Maranaos, part of our lineage is from Marawi.”
The group held a peace rally on Friday after issuing a statement appealing to President Rodrigo Duterte to stop plans to establish an “eco-zone” and military camp within the city, calling it “an invasion of a different kind.”
The government has decided to close the most affected areas again after May 10 and will start to clean up the debris left by the five-month battle. According to Col. Romeo Brawner, deputy commander of Task Force Ranao, the clearing of the debris may take a year to finish.
Meanwhile, local news outlet MindaNews report said the Bagong Marawi Consortium, which is composed of five Chinese and four local firms and led by China State Construction Engineering Corp. Ltd., has been selected to build a “new Marawi” within the 250-hectare Ground Zero.
Earlier, Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council Secretary-General Falconi Ace Millar, said that China and Malaysia have expressed interest in submitting a proposal for the rehabilitation of the parts of Marawi City worst affected by conflict.
The winning proposal will then be subjected to a Swiss challenge “wherein the public may submit their proposals contesting the original proponent,” Mallari said.