(Eagle News)–Senator Francis Pangilinan said the Maranaos should be allowed to “return to their homeland and repair or make new homes on the same site where they (were) situated before the siege.”
“Let them rebuild from their roots,” he said, noting that their homes were where “their families converge, where their Islamic faith has been grounded, where their value systems have been established…”
“They should be allowed to return to ground zero and be given assistance, if not compensation, for the damages to their homes and properties,” he said.
An ecozone, while important, he said, should not encroach on the Maranaos’ ancestral lands.
“The residents should have a voice and stake in the planning stage of rebuilding…After all, what we are rebuilding is not simply structures, but lives of the Marawi people,” he added.
Pangilinan made the statement after Ranaw Multi-Sectoral Group called on President Rodrigo Duterte to allow them to lead the rebuilding of their city in order to preserve their identity.
They said the plan presented to them on March 21 to 22 was done without their consultation.