Robredo presidency will ensure speedy Marawi rehab: Pangilinan

MARAWI CITY -- A Robredo presidency will ensure the speedy reconstruction and rehabilitation of communities affected by the five-month Marawi siege 2017 and for the past five years seemingly forgotten and abandoned by the Duterte administration, vice-presidential aspirant Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan said Friday.

Since even before the siege that started on May 23, 2017, Vice-President Leni Robredo has regularly visited Marawi to implement programs on shelter and education.

Before a crowd of about 2,000 from a cross-section of the Moro community here, Pangilinan said Vice-President Robredo has been first in helping Marawi rebuild.

"Hindi pa ho pangulo pero narito na. Hindi kayo pinababayaan. Lalo na siguro pagka pangulo na," Pangilinan said.

The lawmaker lamented the five-year delay in the reconstruction and rehabilitation of once premier Mindanao city despite the P19-billion alloted for it.

"Kanina dumaan tayo sa doon sa Ground Zero at nakita natin na marami pang dapat gawin dito sa rehab. Ang mga pinangako noon hanggang ngayon hindi pa natutupad," he said.

Cautioning voters against making a mistake in the May 2022 elections, he said: "Pag tayo ay nagkamali at pinili natin iyong hindi karapat-dapat, anong mangyayari sa ating rehab dito? Delayed pa rin."

"Sinasabi natin ito dahil alam nating lahat na sa lahat ng kandidato sa pagka presidente, sino ba ang laging naririto sa Marawi noong nakaraang ilang taon?" he asked.

"Sino ba ang unang nagkaroon ng unang housing project sa Marawi?

Every time, the crowd shouted, "Leni, Leni, Leni!"

Pangilinan also enumerated his own contribution as senator in promoting peace and development in Mindanao: Republic Act 11054, Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) Law, signed July 23, 2018; RA 11593, postponing BARMM's first regular parliamentary elections be postponed from 2022 to 2025, signed on October 28, 2021; and Senate Bill 2420, or the Marawi Siege Victims Compensation Act, set to be signed into law soon.

"Mahalaga na magkaroon ng follow-through at maging matagumpay ang BARMM dahil iyan ang susi sa ating kapayapaan dito sa ating lugar, dito sa Lanao, dito sa Muslim Mindanao," he said.

He said peace and progress are means to address poverty.

"Mahalaga ang kapayapaan. Ang susi sa tunay na progreso ay masusing kapayapaan, development, at pag-address ng kahirapan, partikular dito sa Marawi, Lanao del Sur," he said.