Housing czar breaks into tears during dialogue in Marawi City

MARAWI City – Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council chairman Eduardo del Rosario broke down after a resident challenged him to resign unless families displaced as a result of the 2017 “Marawi Siege” return to their villages by September.

This happened to del Rosario, who is also chair of the Task Force Bangon Marawi (TFBM), during a consultation dialogue held at the provincial gym here on Tuesday.

Del Rosario, a retired general, was unable to finish answering questions raised by Drieza Lininding of the Moro Consensus Group as he broke into tears. 

Lininding had raised various issues and challenged del Rosario if he would resign if residents cannot return to their villages in “Ground Zero” by September.

Del Rosario regained his composure several minutes later, after someone from the crowd prefaced his question with a note that they would not call for his resignation.

The TFBM chair then challenged Lininding to “resign from civil society” if residents in the “least affected areas” in the MAA can return by July to repair their structures.

Lininding had left the gym when del Rosario issued the challenge.

“Resign from what? Mine is not a job. I am a victim and among the 100,000 displaced civilians from the MAA Marawi. Every single day of delay in [rehabilitation] is a suffering for most of us. But if the TFBM and the national government can live up to its own imposed timeline and the passage of the Compensation and Reparation Bill, I will gladly commend them in public, but until then I will remain critical,” Lininding said later.

Del Rosario assured residents of  the 24 barangays in the 250-hectare “Ground Zero,” the 2017 battleground of government forces and the Maute Group, that they  can return to their villages to repair or rebuild their homes by the first week of September. He said the debris clearing would be done by Aug. 30.

But residents residing near the bridges, in what he said were the “least affected areas” like Tolali can start returning by first week of July to repair their residential and commercial structures provided they seek a permit from city hall and their structures are still considered safe.

“The city government will check if indeed your house is still structurally sound,” del Rosario said.

September 2019 is a month short of two years after President Duterte declared on Oct. 17, 2017 that Marawi had been “liberated from the terrorist influence.”

Del Rosario also announced that the “Ground Zero” residents would receive starting on the first week of April P73 thousand each. The breakdown: P53 thousand for the transitory family support package and P20 thousand as livelihood settlement grant.He sought the residents’ cooperation, reiterating that 56 government agencies “are helping you to rise again” but despite their efforts, he said, they continue to bear the brunt of criticisms. (Mindanews)