The battle of Marawi has entered a critical stage. Philippine troops are fighting street battles to retake the city from the Maute Group, also known as Daesh-Lanao, a regional affiliate of the terrorist Daesh organisation. The crisis began last month when black flags associated with the terror outfit suddenly appeared on the rooftops of Marawi, one of the largest cities in Mindanao, an island in South Philippines, notorious for gangster violence, rampant crime, arms smuggling and a high incidence of poverty.
In the fighting that ensued, the armed forces of the Philippines have thus far neutralised as many as 191 Maute Group terrorists while clearing the summer capital of the south. Given the gravity of the situation President Rodrigo Duterte declared martial law in the Mindanao island for 60 days.
Large swathes of Marawi (that form part of Mindanao) have faced severe damages by gun battles, air strikes and shelling since fighting erupted on May 23. Apart from traumatising the city’s population of 200,000, the deadly violence has deeply affected the lives of Maranaos.
Therefore the announcement by the presidential spokesman that Manila will allot 10 billion pesos (Dh741.6 million) for the rebuilding of Marawi City is welcome. The Philippines’ Department of National Defence (DND) is expected to lead the “Bangon Marawi” recovery effort, which aims to bring the situation in the strife-torn city back to normal as soon as possible.
The fund will be used to rebuild the city with the involvement of the departments of Public Works and Highways, Education, Social Welfare and Development, Energy, and Trade and Industry. While the move is praiseworthy, Manila must speed up efforts to redevelop the province as soon as normality is restored.
