Palace assures residents to be consulted on Marawi’s rehabilitation

Malacañang said on Monday, April 2, residents of Marawi City will be given an opportunity to submit their own proposals on how to rehabilitate their own city. “I doubt it very much whether you know the residents themselves of the city will not even be consulted on a manner by which their city will have to be rehabilitated. There are cultural, historical aspects that need to be respected and considered,” Senior Deputy Executive Secretary Menardo I. Guevarra said in a press briefing at the Palace. He added: “So when you are restoring something, you are bringing it back to its condition before. Of course, with much improvement but essentially the essence of Marawi City as a Muslim City will have to be taken into account in the restoration process.” As for the residents’ appeal not to pursue the proposed plan to put up an economic zone and a military camp in the city, Mr. Guevarra said: “I think it’s too early to say whether the President will act on that request. We’ll leave it to the Task Force Bangon Marawi to consider that, to take that into account and to evaluate whether the existence or non-existence of a military camp inside Marawi City is advisable and whether or not converting it into an economic zone will be for the betterment of the city or not. That’s all for the Task Force to evaluate and decide on.” — Arjay L. Balinbin