MANILA, July 22 — A lawmaker at the House of Representatives on Saturday appealed to the government to improve its relief efforts for people of Marawi City who have been displaced by the ongoing clashes between government troops and the Maute terrorist group.
Lanao del Sur Rep. Ansaruddin Adiong made his appeal during a special joint session of Congress on President Rodrigo Duterte’s call for martial law to be extended until the end of the year.
Adiong called on the Department of Social Welfare and Development to bring in more relief goods, and guarantee more comfortable evacuation centers and health centers for the evacuees.
He also requested the immediate construction of temporary shelters in Marawi City to decongest the evacuation centers.
”We appeal that we will not leave any evacuee behind. Most of our evacuees are home-based. We hope that all the names of our evacuees, both in evacuation centers and home-based, be recorded,” Adiong said.
The lawmaker likewise asked the Department of Health to address the shortage of medicines, doctors and health workers. He cited the need to conduct psychosocial debriefing for both parents and children.
As for the labor aspect, Adiong requested the Department of Labor and Employment to provide employment programs for internally displaced persons in all evacuation centers and home-based evacuees found in different provinces.
Adiong cited the need to grant the president’s request for martial law extension to ensure the “complete eradication of terrorism in Marawi City and Lanao del Sur”.
”Personally, martial law extension is needed to ensure the complete eradication of terrorism in Marawi City and Lanao del Sur. We believe that if they are not completely eradicated, they will continue to sow terror against our people and more particularly, to us government officials who support the anti-terror efforts of the government,” he explained.
Adiong noted that the provincial government of Lanao del Sur has signed a written declaration of support for the extension of martial rule in Southern Philippines. (FMC/ANP/PNA)
