The recent approval at the House of Representatives of House Bill No. 9925, otherwise known as the proposed Marawi Compensation Act, on second reading has been a much-awaited development for the displaced and affected individuals during the Marawi siege in 2017.

The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) has consistently advocated for the urgent passage of this bill that will help rebuild Marawi and provide monetary compensation to those who lost their homes and other properties to the armed conflict. CHR lauds this recent development that seeks to address the issue of internal displacement.

Moreover, the CHR supports the institutionalisation of the Task Force Bangon Marawi to commence the rolling out the Marawi Recovery, Rehabilitation, and Reconstruction Program, and the establishment of a compensation subcommittee to receive and resolve all claims of affected communities.

Prior to the pandemic, some residents have been living in harsh conditions in temporary shelters and do not have access to basic social services such as clean water, sanitation, housing, among others. The current health crisis further delays the rehabilitation efforts and causes additional economic burden to the people of Marawi. The dire situation in the city also makes the containment of the virus particularly challenging.

The sad reality remains that, even after four years since the siege, the people continue to bear the lingering effects of armed conflict. There are still displaced residents who are left with limited access to adequate and nutritious food, livelihood, and education. We urge the government to take into consideration the impact of the long-term displacement to the most vulnerable populations.

The Commission is hopeful that this piece of legislation will be a priority agenda in this administration to alleviate the suffering of the people of Marawi and help them recover from the traumatic event, especially now more than ever, that we are still battling the Covid-19 crisis. It is high-time for government to fulfill the promise of making Marawi City rise and heal after the devastating siege.###