Opposition bloc seeks probe on HR violations in Marawi
By Roel Tibay
Published Jun 27, 2018 09:07 pm
By Charissa Luci-Atienza
The Makabayan bloc sought on Wednesday a congressional probe on the reported human rights violations in Marawi City as well as the Duterte government's lack of clear and comprehensive rehabilitation plan in the strife-torn Islamic City.
Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate
(Bayan Muna Party list Facebook page / MANILA BULLETIN) Bayan Muna partylist Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate led the filing of House Resolution 1973 urging the House Committee on Human Rights and House Committee on Muslim Affairs to look into the reports of human rights violations in Marawi and other grave concerns of the people of Marawi on the government’s post-Marawi siege rehabilitation plans. "There is a need for Congress to investigate the reports of human rights violations and the valid concerns of the people of Marawi as regards their land, properties, culture and future. While no amount of investigation, compensation and accountability will bring back lost and shattered lives, properties, culture and dignity, this investigation is important for the people to regain a part of their lives and culture," the seven-man bloc said in filing the resolution yesterday. "As duly-elected representatives of the people, Congress should not allow and condone human rights violations and oppression of the people of Marawi, and instead heed the people’s call for justice, peace and right to self-determination," they said. Citing the National Interfaith Humanitarian Mission (NIHM) in June and July 2017, the progressive solons noted that there were several cases of rights violations, including cases of extrajudicial killings, disappearances, and torture of Marawi residents, who were accosted by soldiers while in the process of evacuation. "There were also several complaints of looting, by soldiers who forced their way inside abandoned homes and took household items and other properties," they lament. Quoting the Amnesty International report in November 2017, they said the Philippine security forces violated the prohibition on the use of torture and other ill-treatment of people in their custody, citing that most of the violations were carried out against civilians who were escaping from the besieged lakeside town and seeking military protection. Under the resolution, the lawmakers said many Marawi residents are gravely concerned that there is no clear and comprehensive rehabilitation plan for internally displaced persons, and no recognition and accountability over the government’s failure of intelligence and failure to stop the entry of terrorist groups in Marawi. They also noted the absence of any government statement or commitment to indemnify lost lives and compensation for damaged properties, and there is no government assurance of rebuilding of destroyed 20 mosques and 30 madrasah, and absence of clear government statement on lifting of martial law in Mindanao. Joining Zarate in filing the resolution were ACT Teachers partylist Rep. Antonio Tinio, Gabriela Reps. Emmi de Jesus and Arlene Brosas, ACT Teachers Rep. France Castro, Anakpawis Rep. Ariel Casilao, and Kabataan Rep. Sarah Jane Castro. The lawmakers expressed concern that while the rehabilitation project will be awarded and will start by June 2018, there is still no final rehabilitation masterplan and that the proposed plan with private Bagong Marawi Consortium is still subject of negotiations as revealed by representatives of Task Force Bangon Marawi during the hearing of the House of Representatives Committee on Muslim Affairs on May 23, 2018. "Many are now concerned that Marawi rehabilitation projects will be exempted from the required public bidding especially with reports that the pre-selected contractor, Bagong Marawi Consortium, “consists of companies with little to no experience in public contracting in the Philippines, and a lead Chinese entity with a checkered history of being blacklisted, investigated, and sued for collusive bidding, fraud, bad projects, tax evasion, and political lobbying in the country and overseas”," they said. "It is, thus, questionable how Bagong Marawi Consortium was selected, and how the people of Marawi and the Filipino people will be affected by the yet undisclosed revenue model of Bagong Marawi Consortium or plan for recouping the billions of pesos it will pour into Marawi rehabilitation projects," they pointed out. On February 5, 2018, President Duterte issued Executive Order No. 49 exempting the National Housing Authority from the National Economic and Development Authority Guidelines on Joint Venture Agreements to “expedite the commencement of rehabilitation projects”. By virtue of EO 49, Task Force Bangon Marawi has implemented the “Swiss Challenge”, instead of the Revised Guidelines and Procedures as provided for in Executive Order No.423 (s.2005), which required open and competitive public bidding. The group claimed that Task Force Bangon Marawi has questionably pre-selected Bagong Marawi Consortium over five other proponents. "There are growing concerns within and outside Marawi about the people’s land ownership amidst the government’s debris management and infrastructure building program, the government’s military reservation claim, the profiteering of the private concessionaires in the rehabilitation plan, and possible heightening of human rights violations through the US counter-terror operation in Mindanao named as Pacific Eagle: Philippines," the progressive lawmakers said. According to various reports, during the Marawi siege, more than 50 civilians were killed, 380,000 displaced & 1,780 held hostages. Some 980 militants were killed, most of them were not identified, while 165 AFP and PNP personnel were killed and more than 1,700 injured. Over 11,000 homes were destroyed while more than 27,000 families were displaced. Within six months of aerial bombings and warfare from May 23, 2017, the culture-rich Islamic City of Marawi, home to 220,000 inhabitants and center for economic, religious & educational capital in Lanao was reduced to ashes and rubble.
Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate(Bayan Muna Party list Facebook page / MANILA BULLETIN) Bayan Muna partylist Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate led the filing of House Resolution 1973 urging the House Committee on Human Rights and House Committee on Muslim Affairs to look into the reports of human rights violations in Marawi and other grave concerns of the people of Marawi on the government’s post-Marawi siege rehabilitation plans. "There is a need for Congress to investigate the reports of human rights violations and the valid concerns of the people of Marawi as regards their land, properties, culture and future. While no amount of investigation, compensation and accountability will bring back lost and shattered lives, properties, culture and dignity, this investigation is important for the people to regain a part of their lives and culture," the seven-man bloc said in filing the resolution yesterday. "As duly-elected representatives of the people, Congress should not allow and condone human rights violations and oppression of the people of Marawi, and instead heed the people’s call for justice, peace and right to self-determination," they said. Citing the National Interfaith Humanitarian Mission (NIHM) in June and July 2017, the progressive solons noted that there were several cases of rights violations, including cases of extrajudicial killings, disappearances, and torture of Marawi residents, who were accosted by soldiers while in the process of evacuation. "There were also several complaints of looting, by soldiers who forced their way inside abandoned homes and took household items and other properties," they lament. Quoting the Amnesty International report in November 2017, they said the Philippine security forces violated the prohibition on the use of torture and other ill-treatment of people in their custody, citing that most of the violations were carried out against civilians who were escaping from the besieged lakeside town and seeking military protection. Under the resolution, the lawmakers said many Marawi residents are gravely concerned that there is no clear and comprehensive rehabilitation plan for internally displaced persons, and no recognition and accountability over the government’s failure of intelligence and failure to stop the entry of terrorist groups in Marawi. They also noted the absence of any government statement or commitment to indemnify lost lives and compensation for damaged properties, and there is no government assurance of rebuilding of destroyed 20 mosques and 30 madrasah, and absence of clear government statement on lifting of martial law in Mindanao. Joining Zarate in filing the resolution were ACT Teachers partylist Rep. Antonio Tinio, Gabriela Reps. Emmi de Jesus and Arlene Brosas, ACT Teachers Rep. France Castro, Anakpawis Rep. Ariel Casilao, and Kabataan Rep. Sarah Jane Castro. The lawmakers expressed concern that while the rehabilitation project will be awarded and will start by June 2018, there is still no final rehabilitation masterplan and that the proposed plan with private Bagong Marawi Consortium is still subject of negotiations as revealed by representatives of Task Force Bangon Marawi during the hearing of the House of Representatives Committee on Muslim Affairs on May 23, 2018. "Many are now concerned that Marawi rehabilitation projects will be exempted from the required public bidding especially with reports that the pre-selected contractor, Bagong Marawi Consortium, “consists of companies with little to no experience in public contracting in the Philippines, and a lead Chinese entity with a checkered history of being blacklisted, investigated, and sued for collusive bidding, fraud, bad projects, tax evasion, and political lobbying in the country and overseas”," they said. "It is, thus, questionable how Bagong Marawi Consortium was selected, and how the people of Marawi and the Filipino people will be affected by the yet undisclosed revenue model of Bagong Marawi Consortium or plan for recouping the billions of pesos it will pour into Marawi rehabilitation projects," they pointed out. On February 5, 2018, President Duterte issued Executive Order No. 49 exempting the National Housing Authority from the National Economic and Development Authority Guidelines on Joint Venture Agreements to “expedite the commencement of rehabilitation projects”. By virtue of EO 49, Task Force Bangon Marawi has implemented the “Swiss Challenge”, instead of the Revised Guidelines and Procedures as provided for in Executive Order No.423 (s.2005), which required open and competitive public bidding. The group claimed that Task Force Bangon Marawi has questionably pre-selected Bagong Marawi Consortium over five other proponents. "There are growing concerns within and outside Marawi about the people’s land ownership amidst the government’s debris management and infrastructure building program, the government’s military reservation claim, the profiteering of the private concessionaires in the rehabilitation plan, and possible heightening of human rights violations through the US counter-terror operation in Mindanao named as Pacific Eagle: Philippines," the progressive lawmakers said. According to various reports, during the Marawi siege, more than 50 civilians were killed, 380,000 displaced & 1,780 held hostages. Some 980 militants were killed, most of them were not identified, while 165 AFP and PNP personnel were killed and more than 1,700 injured. Over 11,000 homes were destroyed while more than 27,000 families were displaced. Within six months of aerial bombings and warfare from May 23, 2017, the culture-rich Islamic City of Marawi, home to 220,000 inhabitants and center for economic, religious & educational capital in Lanao was reduced to ashes and rubble.