Senator JV Ejercito visits ground zero in Marawi just recently

By Jun Enriquez

Iligan City Councilor Samuel "Tatay" Huertas (2nd left); Senator JV Ejercito (3rd left); Mr. Pendatun "Penny" Disimban (4th left); Marawi Sultan Hamidullah Atar (2nd right)

Iligan City - Senator JV Ejercito was the first senator visited the ground zero in Marawi on November 18, 2017 to see the extent of the damaged brought by the five-month atrocities between the government forces and the Maute-ISIS. Ejercito said that Marawi ground zero was heavily devastated. Building structures cannot be simply repaired but it needs to be demolished and construct a new unit again because it’s unsafe to retain the remaining pieces of structures to be included in the construction. He said the reconstruction of building units must have participation from the traditional leaders to preserve cultural heritage on building houses.

There shall be a consultation forum to be held in the future with the IDPs stakeholders, Task Force Bangon Marawi, Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC) and other agencies to assess the needs for rebuilding Marawi. The IDPs stakeholders who are the rightful beneficiaries must be included in the decision-making process on rebuilding and rehabilitation of Marawi City.

Ejercito is the chairman of the Senate housing committee assures to bring the said issues in the Senate.  He said there must be investigation to be conducted why the Marawi siege was happened and verify reports that there were personalities behind supporting the Maute-ISIS.

Pendatun “Penny” Disimban, President, Assalam Bangsamoro People’s Association, Inc.  and Ranao Rescue team hosted a forum on “Marawi Multi-Sectoral Forum on Housing” at Alemania Hotel this city, invited Senator Ejercito as the Guest Speaker. Disimban said the purpose of the forum is to air their sentiments about the housing construction for the IDPs and rehabilitation in general.  

During the forum Marawi City Mayor Majul Gandamra and Lanao del Sur Governor Adiong or any of their representatives were not around for unknown reasons. In the said forum one of the issues and concerns raised was about the land occupied by the Maranaos in Marawi city declared military reservation must be resolved. It was added that the land of the Muslims in Mindanao were distributed to the people coming from the North in Luzon and Visayas and the land in Marawi is owned by the Maranaos as their ancestral domain since time immemorial before the coming of Spaniards more than 400 years now.

 

Another issue taken was about the underground of Masjid Marawi was not made to be used for the war but was made for madrasah spaces for Arabic school like other buildings in Manila with underground spaces for office used and other usages.

Issues on education on private schools were left unattended must be included in the rehabilitation plan. Maute members killed in the battle have children left behind must be provided with humanitarian assistance otherwise they will be grown up unattended and will be potential to be armed again and land another atrocities as a revenge to their parents.

Ejercito said he will look all the possibilities to work in the Senate to end the problem on violent extremism in the country.

Iligan City Councilor Samuel “Tatay” Huertas who is also a businessman said that the business in Iligan City was affected due to the Marawi incident. He said 30 per cent more or less the business in Iligan City slowed down because most of the people in Marawi and Lanao Sur are clients to the businesses in Iligan City. Huertas said since the Marawi siege started there was no cases of spillover of incidents from Marawi crisis with strict implementation of security measures.

at left, Prof. Darwin Manubag

Iligan City MSU-IIT Professor Darwin Manubag, Past President, Jaycess International, Iligan chapter and Jaycees National Training Director said Senator JV Ejercito is also a JCI Senator and past National President, JCI Philippines, will be invited to come in Iligan City on October next year for the JCI national convention to be held here. 

Other personalities present during the dinner meeting were Iligan city Congressman Freddie Siao; BGen William Alunday and Col. James Enriquez, Brigade Commander and Deputy Brigade Commander of the 2nd Mechanized Infantry Brigade, Philippine Army respectively, among others. Photos By Jun Enriquez