Palace confident Marawi City to be rebuilt before Duterte’s term ends

TRANSFORMATION The Grand Mosque, icon of Islamic faith in Marawi City, underwent major reconstruction after it was heavily damaged during combat operations to flush out militants who laid siege to the city. —PHOTOS BY RICHEL V. UMEL AND DIVINA M. SUSON

MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang on Monday expressed confidence that war-torn Marawi City will be rebuilt by the end of President Rodrigo Duterte’s term next year.

This, after Maranao leaders and other civil society organizations, urged the national government to prioritize the reconstruction of Marawi City four years since the siege.

“Ang pangako po ng Presidente, babangon muli po ang Marawi at ang pangako po niya ay sa kanyang termino. So we have a year, roughly a year bago po matapos ang termino ng Presidente and I think the target can be met,” presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said in an online briefing.

(The President’s promise is that Marawi will rise under his term. So we have roughly a year before the President’s term ends and I think the target can be met.)

“Marawi will be completely rebuilt at the end of the term of the President,” he went on.

Chairman of Task Force Bangon Marawi Housing Secretary Eduardo del Rosario previously assured that the rehabilitation of Marawi City would be completed within the target deadline of December 2021 despite the pandemic.

The Maute group laid siege on the city for five months, starting on May 23, 2017, which led to widespread destruction of property and infrastructure in the city and loss of lives of its residents.

The siege forced thousands of survivors to be displaced and to live in temporary shelters provided by the government.

JE