On Eid al-Fitr, Muslim leader appeals to fast-track Marawi rehab

MANILA, Philippines — As the Muslim community celebrates the Eid al-Fitr Wednesday to mark the end of Ramadan, a Muslim leader urged President Rodrigo Duterte to fast-track the rehabilitation of war-torn Marawi City.

Datu Bashir Alonto, chairman of the Metro Manila Muslim Community for Justice and Peace, said Muslim brothers continue to pray for the restoration of Marawi, which was heavily damaged by the five-month-long battle between the ISIS-inspired Maute Group and state forces in 2017.

“Ako mismo ay umaapela sa ating Pangulong Duterte na sana agaran [‘yung rehabilitation] kasi kung isipin mo gaano [na] katagal naghihintay ‘yung mga mahihirap na tao. Ang tanong dito [ay] ‘yung sino ‘yung nagsasacrifice? Sila pa rin, ‘yung mga mahihirap na tao,” he said in an interview with Radyo Inquirer.

(I am appealing to President Duterte to fast-track the rehabilitation. Come to think of it, how long should the poor people wait? The question here is, who was sacrificing? It’s still them, the poor residents.)

Alonto said some locals in Marawi have been questioning why the government is taking too long to restore the Islamic city since it is not too large anyway and funds are available.

“May mga iba dito ang hinahanakit nila, ang sinasabi nila, kung hindi man mangyayari na maibalik agad ang Marawi, sabihin lang para hindi na umasa, para hindi ‘yung pag-asa palagi na lang nasa isip nila,” he said.

(Some people here are saying that the authorities should tell them if Marawi City will not be restored soon so that they will stop hoping and so that they won’t think about it.)

If Marawi is not restored anytime soon, the locals may then consider migrating to other areas and start a new life, he added.

Alonto said that two years after the Marawi siege, some residents still suffer from its aftermath, as in the case of evacuees still waiting to return to their homes.

Alonto said he fears the rehabilitation is not forthcoming and if the government is not pushing for it, Marawi may be forgotten. (Editor: Eden Estopace)

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