Three years after Marawi City’s liberation, President Rodrigo Duterte wants the rehabilitation of the war-torn city “hastened”, Malacañang said Monday.
Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said while the administration was “satisfied” with the efforts to reconstruct the public facilities that were slowed down by the COVID-19 pandemic, Duterte wanted the rehabilitation made faster.
“Let’s just say that we are satisfied, but the President of course would appreciate it if it could be hastened,” Roque told reporters.
He made his statement even as housing czar Eduardo del Rosario on Thursday urged Marawi’s residents to strive for peace and ensure that terrorism and violence would never strike again.
He said economic development could only thrive in a peaceful environment.
He recently led officials in commemorating the third anniversary of the liberation of the only Islamic City in the country from the clutches of the Daesh-inspired terrorists.
“Peace is key to achieving progress and development in our beloved Islamic City,” Del Rosario said.
Last July, Roque said the efforts to rehabilitate Marawi never stopped despite the prevailing health crisis.
He said Duterte might have decided not to mention the Marawi rehab updates in his penultimate State-of-the- Nation address because infrastructure and housing developments were still ongoing.
Task Force Bangon Marawi chairman Del Rosario said the rehabilitation was on track and would meet the December 2021 deadline to finish rehabilitating the city.
“I reiterate that we will complete the rehabilitation of Marawi by December 2021. As promised by no less than our President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, Marawi will rise again as a prosperous city,” he said.
Del Rosario said the task force was set to fully restore the entire electric and water system in the 24 barangays that were most affected.
In February 2018, Duterte signed Executive Order 49 expediting the start of projects in the city’s affected areas.
The EO is meant to simplify documentary requirements and procedures to hasten the start of rehabilitation projects.
Under the Administrative Order 3 issued by Duterte on June 28, 2017, the TFBM was created to facilitate the rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts in Marawi.
It also seeks to help displaced families to recover from the tragedy brought by the Marawi siege in May 2017.
On Oct. 17, 2017, Duterte declared Marawi City free from the terrorist Maute group.