Press Release
May 23, 2018

Trillanes: A year after Marawi siege, government still has no clear rehabilitation plan

On the first year after the Marawi siege erupted, Senator Antonio "Sonny" F. Trillanes IV files Senate Resolutions No. 742 and 743 to look into the rehabilitation efforts in the conflict-affected areas, as well as investigate the circumstances that led to the five-month armed conflict between the government forces and the IS-inspired terrorist group.

Trillanes lamented: "A year after the Marawi siege, the government has yet to present a comprehensive plan on how it intends to rehabilitate the City and assist our kababayans there. Worse, its efforts are hampered by a number of issues, from questionable contractors that would rebuild the city, to displacement or land grabbing fears of the affected residents.

Under SRN 742, Trillanes asks the Senate Special Committee on Marawi City Rehabilitation, which was created to monitor the progress of rehabilitation efforts in the city, to look into the status of the reconstruction plans, and relief and rehabilitation for Marawi City, particularly on matters relating to livelihood and the case of "Bakwits" or internally displaced persons, after the five-month long armed conflict.

Moreover, under SRN 743, Trillanes urges the Senate Committee on National Defense and Security to conduct an investigation into the circumstances that led to the longest armed conflict in the country's recent history, with the end in view of instituting policies to avoid similar conflicts from arising again.

Trillanes explained: "There should be joint efforts between the Department of National Defense and other government agencies to assess the lessons, including lapses on the part of the government, why the battle between the government forces and the terrorists lasted for five months.

"Months before the siege, the government knew about the impending crisis. Duterte even challanged the Maute group to burn Marawi. Despite this, the government was not able to prevent the conflict. Worse, one year after it erupted, our affected kababayans continue to suffer and remain to be on the losing end of this crisis. How can the government alleviate their suffering if until now it still has no final and comprehensive rehabilitation plan?" Trillanes further asked.

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