The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) has welcomed the approval on second reading last Aug. 31 of House Bill No. 9925 that is intended to provide compensation for residents affected by the Marawi siege in 2017.
CHR Spokesperson and lawyer Jacqueline Ann de Guia said HB 9925 seeks to address the issue of internal displacement.
Reports stated that more than 1,200 combatants, soldiers and civilians perished in the five-month siege that also forced the displacements of tens of thousands of Marawi City residents.
“The urgent passage of this bill will help rebuild Marawi and provide monetary compensation to those who lost their homes and other properties to the armed conflict,” De Guia said in a statement.
She said the CHR supports fully the institutionalization of Task Force Bangon Marawi to begin rolling out the Marawi Recovery, Rehabilitation, and Reconstruction Program, and the establishment of a compensation subcommittee to receive and resolve all claims of affected communities.
She stressed that even before the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, many Marawi residents have been living in harsh conditions in temporary shelters and do not have access to basic social services such as clean water, sanitation, housing, among others.
“The current health crisis further delays the rehabilitation efforts and causes additional economic burden to the people of Marawi. The dire situation in the city also makes the containment of the virus particularly challenging,” she said.
“The sad reality remains that, even after four years since the siege, the people continue to bear the lingering effects of armed conflict,” she lamented.
Thus, De Guia stressed, the CHR called on the government to take into consideration the impact of the long-term displacement to the most vulnerable populations.
De Guia also said: “We are hopeful that this piece of legislation will be a priority agenda in this administration to alleviate the suffering of the people of Marawi and help them recover from the traumatic event, especially now more than ever, that we are still battling the Covid-19 crisis. It is high-time for government to fulfill the promise of making Marawi City rise and heal after the devastating siege.”