Angara wants putting up trust fund for Marawi rehab

Senator Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara. FILE PHOTO

Sen. Sonny Angara urged on Thursday the creation of a trust fund to bankroll the reconstruction of Marawi City now ruined by the more than one month government effort to liberate it from ISIS-inspired terrorists.

Angara called the trust fund the “Marawi Bangon Fund” and that government through Congress should appropriate money here.

In a statement, he said the seed money for the trust fund could be sourced from the P21.8-billion calamity fund in this year’s national budget.

Angara said funding for the trust fund next year could be sourced from the 2018 national budget as he called on the Palace “to factor in the needs of Marawi” in next year’s appropriations.

“I hope someone is doing a ‘needs assessment’ right now,” he said as he prodded government to start planning for a post-conflict scenario even if the fighting continues to this day.

The need for careful planning for the rehabilitation of Marawi City was also underscored by Sen. Francis Escudero.

At the Kapihan sa Senado forum, Escudero said the planning could include how to ensure government forces could operate in the terrain there should another incident happen.

And while he hoped the crisis in Marawi City would be resolved before President Rodrigo Duterte gives his second State of the Nation Address before Congress on July 24, Escudero said deadlines should not be set if it would entail risk to the lives of government forces.

“No deadline should be set if it’s not based on the actual situation on the ground,” he said.

But he added he did not think the President would allow this because the Chief Executive was heavy burdened every time a soldier dies.

Escudero said he has filed a Senate bill that would create a P20 billion trust fund for soldiers and policemen wounded or killed while in the line of duty.

Escudero said he has already asked a congressman to file a counterpart bill in the House. JPV