The Task Force Bangon Marawi (TFBM) is lying when it announced that 65% of the rehabilitation of Marawi City is already “complete.” This was the statement of Drieza Lininding of the Moro Consensus Group last May 23 on the fourth anniversary of the Marawi Siege which resulted in the destruction of the city. On the same day, residents conducted a caravan to the Maqbara Public Cemetery in Barangay Papandayan to commemorate the first day of the bombings. The remains of approximately 470 victims who died during the 5-month bombing campaign by the AFP in the city were buried in this cemetery. The said bombings resulted in the displacement of 325,294 individuals in 2017.

Four years have passed and majority of the remaining 27,000 families who were displaced are still unable to return to the city. Roads are yet to be reconstructed and electricity lines and water pipelines are yet to be installed. Despite the residents’ willingness to return to their communities, they have no funds to reconstruct their ravaged homes. As of now, only 113 out of 17,768 families have been able to return to Tolali, while only 100 were relocated in Pagalatan, Saguiran. Meanwhile, 2,943 families are in temporary shelters at the Boganga Transitory Site, while many others are in Baloi and Rogongon, Iligan City, Poona Bayabao in Piagapo in Lanao del Sur, and other places.

Amid the hardships suffered by evacuees in evacuation centers and lack of livelihood, Duterte has no interest in pushing Congress to enact the bill which will allocate ₱30-₱50 billion to compensate the evacuees.