Marawi Support Groups To File Class Suits Against The Government Due To Alleged Human Rights Violations

Amidst all the celebration that most people are doing with regards to the declaration that Marawi is finally a war-free zone. There are residents who weren't happy with what happened.

A joint statement released by two support groups of the Marawi crisis victims said that President Rodrigo Duterte should be made accountable for the devastation and ruins that was brought about by the war between the government troops and the terrorists.

During the first few days of the Marawi war, thousands of civilians were displaced as they were made to evacuate their homes.

According to the statement, residents witnessed various kinds of abuses being committed by the terrorists as well as the government troops.

Suara Bangsamoro's spokesperson Jerome Succor Aba said that these reports of abuses will be the basis of the class suit that the victims will be filing. He also said in an interview that there are many cases of human rights violation.

“There were numerous cases of human rights violations,”

Meanwhile, the other group, Tindeg Ranao's representative Aida Ibrahim said that many of the evacuees already signed affidavits that documents the abuses they had experienced in the hands of the government troops.

She also said that more evacuees are willing to sign affidavits.

The exact date of the filing is yet to be announced as there are still evidence and documents that are being prepared.

Also in the said joint statement of Suara Bangsamoro and Tindeg Ranao, is their call for the lifting of Martial law in Mindanao. This is as they said unnecessary when a lot of people expressed their longing to go back home already.

According to Suara Bangsamoro, it finds the statement of Duterte that Marawi is liberated quite ironic. This is because the AFP along with the U.S. troops are still in control of Marawi because of the said martial law. The evacuees are also afraid of military appraisal according to the group.

“are afraid of military reprisal should they decide to file cases or hold responsible the government for the destruction of their communities and their more than four months-long displacement due to intensive military airstrike which became the response to suppress the Dawlah Islamiya [Maute Group],”

Both groups maintained that the government should be held accountable for the displacement of Marawi and the death of the casualties.

“[We] hope that calls for independent investigation to reports of human rights violations committed by the military to evacuees will not be glossed over as the government [announced] victory over the terrorist group,”

Furthermore, Zia Alonto Adiong, spokesperson of the Lanao del Sur Provincial Crisis Management Committee said in a statement that Marawi can now start rebuilding and rehabilitating.

“focus on rebuilding, rehabilitating not only the physical infrastructures but more importantly, the social fabric of our community in the hope that we can truly have a peaceful, developed and a caring society in Marawi and its neighboring communities.”

Adiong also added that the deaths of Hapilon and Maute provides Marawi “an opportunity not only to win the war against violent extremism, but also the rare privilege of winning the peace by addressing the root causes of the conflict in Mindanao.” 

Source: Davao Today