Housing czar Eduardo del Rosario on Sunday vowed to answer more queries from members of the Commission on Appointments to settle issues and address disinformation about the Marawi City’s ongoing rehabilitation.
Del Rosario said he would welcome more questions from the CA composed lawmakers during the resumption of deliberations for his ad interim appointment next week as an opportunity to clarify being allegatioins he claims are being peddled by several interest groups.
He said he views the second round of the CA deliberation as an opportunity to “finally clear the air” on several issues, particularly regarding his role as chairman of the Task Force Bangon Marawi and the progress of the rehabilitation.
“I thank our lawmakers for giving me this opportunity to finally clear the air and focus on our pressing mandate of providing decent and affordable shelters and developing resilient and sustainable communities for the underprivileged and low-income Filipinos,” he said.
Some Maranaos earlier opposed Del Rosario’s confirmation as Seretary of the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development.
During the CA deliberations, oppositor Bai Padoman Paporo noted the supposed slow rehabilitation of Marawi City, Lanao del Sur and the delayed return of displaced residents.
She said there would be “conflict of interest” if Del Rosario was confirmed as DHSUD chief due to his position as task force head.
“With regards to Marawi, I reiterate that we will finish the rehabilitation of public infrastructure within the term of President Rodrigo Duterte. This is in compliance to the specific instruction of the President who said ‘I will see to it that Marawi will rise as a prosperous city again,” the DHSUD chief said.
He added that the massive rehabilitation of war-torn Marawi City is on track, citing the ongoing full-blast reconstruction works on 10 infrastructure projects within the most affected area.
Apart from this, social interventions, such as the provision of livelihood and financial assistance to the affected residents, are continuing, he added.
The Battle of Marawi or the siege of Marawi was a five-month-long armed conflict in Marawi City that started on May 23, 2017, between the government security forces and militants affiliated with the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant as well as the Maute and Abu Sayyaf Salafi jihadist groups.