Last week was the first anniversary of the liberation of Marawi. The end of the siege anyway. Marawi has hardly been liberated. How can it be? It was decimated! What's left of Marawi "
is like somebody's memory of a town, and the memory is fading. It's like there was never anything (t)here but jungle."
Soon a new Marawi will rise from the ruins of the old Marawi. Or maybe later.
Interviewed on Balitanghali on Monday, Lanao del Sur 1st District Assemblyman Zia Alonto Adiong said they have to reschedule as President Rodrigo Duterte is not available on October 17.
"Ang Presidente talaga ang mag-inaugurate. I think the President is not available on that date so baka i-move nila on the 28th within this month," he said.
Task Force Bangon Marawi also released the same announcement on its official Facebook page.
Why is it necessary that Duterte lead this event? They wanted to capitalise on symbolism and hold it on the anniversary of the city's liberation but Duterte could not accommodate so they have to put it off for eleven more days! No doubt Duterte attending the groundbreaking ceremony will be a great photo-op. Could even be historic. But the people want their city back. They even want to rebuild it themselves. The city of Marawi does not need any political theatrics.
A day before the commemoration of the liberation of Marawi City, protesters took to the streets demanding they be allowed to go home.
On Monday, protesters aimed to march to ground zero, however, they were barred from getting a glimpse of what was left of the war-torn city.
Displaced residents said their only wish was to go back home.
Drieza Laninding, chairperson of the Moro Consensus Group earlier said, "Kung gaano kabilis ang pagdecide nila na bombahin yung mga bahay, religious institutions, madrasah, mga mosque, lahat-lahat ng nandiyan sa Marawi, e hindi naman ganon kabilis ang pag-aksyon nila sa rehabilitasyon."
[Translation: The speed at which they decided to bomb homes, religious institutions, madrasahs, mosques, everything in Marawi, was not the same speed as the rehabilitation.]
Laninding also said, "Makakauwi kami o hindi? May pondo o wala? Gusto niyo ba na tulungan namin kayo o hindi? So yun lang po. Napakasimple. Magtulungan tayo. Gusto namin tulungan ang gobyerno na hindi na kailangang mangutang. Itatayo namin ang aming mga bahay."
[Translation: Will we be able go home or not? Are there funds? Do you want us to help you or not? That's it. It's very simple. Let's help each other. We want to help the government without needing to borrow money. We will build our houses.]
Task Force Bangon Marawi said the ₱75-million debris clearing project was awarded to FINMAT International, a local company that partnered with Power China, a state-owned construction company of People's Republic of China.
If the government wants the rebuilding of Marawi to be theatre then get the show on the road! Start already! Funny that even though they are going with a local company China is still involved. Come hell or high-water China will have a hand in the rebuilding of Marawi. Why? What for? China is no good and they are even attempting to dictate the activities of the AFP and DND!
"China expressed concern over a naval... a military exercise that the United States will be conducting in the area at about the same time that the Chinese President will be in the Philippines," Roque said at a press briefing.
"The President said that we will not take part in that military exercise,” he added.
But military sources said there is no scheduled military exercise with the United States next month.
What is China afraid of? Their own shadow it seems. But the Philippines will be engaging in naval drills with them.
Members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations are hedging their strategic risks in the South China Sea by stepping up military cooperation on multiple fronts as tension between China and the United States grows in the region, political analysts have said.
The assessment follows Monday’s decision by the Philippines to join a regional military exercise involving China and other Asean countries later this month, and comes days after a Chinese destroyer and an American warship came within metres of colliding in the South China Sea.
The drill, from October 22 to 29, would be Manila’s first military exercise with Beijing, and will form the second phase of a tabletop maritime exercise China held in August with several Asean nations in Singapore, in which they focused on simulating joint search and rescue operations under the Code for Unplanned Encounters at Sea.
Hedging their bets against what? Ever since the end of World War 2 experts have been predicting the nuclear wasteland of World War 3 but it has not happened and it is doubtful such a war would happen. Who wants it? What exactly is the Philippines and the ASEAN hedging their bets against?
Doesn't matter though because no matter how much bluster China may blow the USA is here to stay.
The USA is even giving billions to the rebuilding of Marawi.
Do they know much of that might be going to China since a Chinese company is involved in the rebuilding? Irony?
The Marawi siege was the catalyst for declaring marital law in Mindanao but even after the siege ended and the rebellion was put down martial law was still extended until the end of 2018. Now that the expiration date is coming up people are wondering if martial law will be extended once again.
“Well, according to the military, the martial law has helped in the peace and order situation. And it has dissuaded the terrorists from inflicting the usual violence against the population,” Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said in a Palace briefing.
“As I said, if it is helping the population, [and] the population is not even [opposing] it, so to my mind there is a need to extend it,” Panelo said.
He, however, said the extension of martial rule in Mindanao would depend on the recommendation of the military.
“But according to the President, it will depend on the advice, the recommendation of the military because they are the ones on the ground,” Panelo said.
Helping out the population and no one opposing it is no reason to have martial law. This is a very common argument though. Crime has been reduced and the people want it. But those are not constitutionally valid reasons. What happens when martial law is rescinded? Will crime skyrocket again?
The Senate will have to assess the current situation in Mindanao if there was, indeed, a need to extend martial law beyond Dec. 31, 2018.
Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian made this remark in a radio interview on Sunday, following Malacañang’s statement that it was taking its cue from the military over whether to extend martial law.
“We will study it very carefully,” Gatchalian said.
“At first glance, martial law might be scary,” he said.
“But if you go to Mindanao, they are happy because warlords are now afraid to go around,” he added.
Gatchalian said the threat of terrorism still existed in Mindanao.
He said investments and businesses did not seem to have been adversely affected by martial law.
“I talked to some businessmen in Mindanao” who support martial law “because there is now order,” Gatchalian said.
https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1045408/gatchalian-martial-law-scary-only-at-first-glance
The warlords are now afraid to go around? Now there is order? Those are still not valid constitutional reasons for martial law. They are admissions that Mindanao is a very violent region. That violence is what should be scary. Not martial law. Sen. Gatchalian won't address that issue though. Better to eradicate warlords completely than merely restrict their movement. Even after the imposition of marital law and the passage of the BOL with a new hope for peace Mindanao remains violent.
Sabang, reportedly trained in the fabrication of improvised explosive devices by the slain Malaysian terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir, most known as “Marwan,” belonged to the outlawed Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, or BIFF.
Two of Sabang’s companion, Aktab Musib and Kadun Sanuy, were also wounded in the incident.
The group, operating in the fashion of the Islamic State, has been trying to sabotage the now 20-year peace process between the government and the MILF.
Reports reaching the office of Major Gen. Cirilito Sobejana, commander of 6th ID, indicated that the skirmishes on Thursday in Barangay Pimbalakan in Mamasapano involved local MILF guerillas and the group of BIFF Commander Zainudin Kiaro.
Barangay leaders said the encounter erupted when BIFF gunmen attacked MILF guerillas marching towards Sitio Makalag in Barangay Pimbalakan to check on the reported convergence there of gunmen displaying a black Islamic State flag.
Why are MILF guerrillas out and about engine in skirmishes? The MILF said they would be
decommissioning their forces once the BOL passed but it seems they are not at that stage yet. Why should they ever get there since the BOL has no brought peace except between the MILF and the government? All the other groups are still at war!
"Magpolitika mo okay lang. Drop the firearms, drop the gun, wala na tay problema. Amigo tang tanan ug igsuon tang Pilipino (If you wish to join politics, okay lang. Drop the firearms, drop the gun, and we will not have a problem. We will not just be friends, but Filipino brothers and sisters)," he said.
"50 anyos na gud tang ga... 52 diay. 52 years na tang ga away (For 50 years we... 52. We've been fighting for 52 years)," Duterte said, addressing the NPAs. He added that he was still a student when he first listened to the rebel group, and now he is a President.
Duterte is not necessarily wrong here. The fighting has been unending and continual for decades. If the various terrorist groups simply laid aside their weapons peace would come.
But that is not likely to ever happen.
