CPP/Ang Bayan: Marawi liberation is a sham

Propaganda article from the English language edition of Ang Bayan posted to the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) Website (Nov 7, 2020): Marawi liberation is a sham

There is no reason to celebrate the third anniversary of the so-called “liberation” of Marawi. This was the message of Moros during the Duterte regime’s commemoration of the said occasion last October 17. The plight of Moros perists as they are still unable to return to the city.

“There is no real liberation to speak of,” said Drieza Lininding, chairperson of the Moro Consensus Group. “Most of us have not been allowed to return to our homes and rebuild our lives,” he added. According to the latest report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, approximately 126,775 residents are still in evacuation centers and in need of protection and support during the pandemic.

One of the major problems faced by evacuees is the absence of adequate supply of water which is key to maintaining personal hygiene. The are also no clinics or sources of free or cheap medicines in evacuation centers. Majority of evacuees are jobless and mainly rely on limited humanitarian aid given them by various organizations. In addition, there are thousands of displaced Maranaos who are currently living with their relatives in nearby provinces and various areas across the country.

Residents are also clueless as to how the regime spent about ₱70-billion allocated for the reconstruction of Marawi and more than ₱40 billion in loan and aid from other countries received since 2017. The regime’s neglect and disregard to the evacuees’ plight to return to their communities was further exposed in a report published by the Bangsamoro Transition Authority last August 26. The report proved that the regime’s relocation plan is not going anywhere. Ravaged houses are yet to be rebuilt, and residents are yet to compensated for their properties which have been destroyed. Electricity lines and water pipelines are yet to be installed in 24 barangays across the city which were pulverized by the military siege and indiscriminate aerial bombardment. Schools are yet to be built, and a comprehensive livelihood program for evacuees is yet to be devised.

Instead of addressing the said issues, the regime prioritized the construction of road systems in across the city. This includes the Marawi Transcentral Road, a project under Duterte’s grandiose Build, Build, Build infrastructure program. This was funded using a ₱970-million loan from the Japan International Cooperation Agency. On top of this, the regime is also railroading the construction of a new ₱400-million military camp in Barangay Kapantaran where the Marawi City Hall used to stand. The massive funding for these projects is a huge insult to Maranaos who are denied their right to abode and a decent life.

“Marawi is made up of its residents not public buildings,” Liningding stressed. He said that the regime’s efforts will amount to nothing without addressing the Maranao people’s call to return to their communities.

[Ang Bayan is the official news organ of the Communist Party of the Philippines and is issued by the CPP Central Committee. It provides news about the work of the Party as well as its analysis of and views on current issues. Ang Bayan comes out fortnightly and is published in Pilipino, Bisaya, Ilokano, Waray, Hiligaynon and English.]

https://cpp.ph/2020/11/07/marawi-liberation-is-a-sham/