MILITANT groups on Wednesday, May 23, greeted the first anniversary of the Marawi siege and martial law declaration with protests and calls to free Mindanao of the martial rule.
It has been a year since war broke out in Marawi City, turning the city into ruins as government and Islamic-State inspired militants clashed, leaving over 400,000 residents in dire need of support as they long to go back home.
For Abdul Jalil Datuan of Moro group Tindeg Ranao, true liberation is still not achieved one year after the siege.
Datuan said it is disheartening how the Duterte government turns a blind eye to the suffering residents still living in tents.
It also bewildered them how the government shows much interest in the rehabilitation process involving big foreign businessmen.
"Ang tunay na na-liberate lang ay ang suporta ng iilang government agencies sa pagpapadala ng tulong sa mga biktima dahil 'tapos na; raw ang giyera. Pero hindi lang naman giyera ang kinaharap ng mga bakwit- kumakayod sila araw-araw para lang may mairaos ang kanilang pamilya," he said.
Datuan called on his fellow Meranaos to stand united and not give up Marawi to foreign investors.
League of Filipino Students (LFS) in Northern Mindanao, meanwhile said the martial law declaration had been used to continually persecute the people of Marawi even after the siege.
Kristine Cabardo, LFS-Normin chairperson, said the martial law was also used against militant peasants and lumad who are defending their ancestral lands.
"Just recently, the region was part of a fact-finding mission which documented two cases of extra-judicial killings (EJKs), 2 cases of frustrated EJKs, 18 cases of threat, harassment, and intimidation, and other numerous human rights violations. Martial law has become a curtain to cover the economic interests of foreign corporations and a blanket to silence the people who dare to defy," Cabardo said.
"One day of martial law is too much- what more a year? At this time, it is of utmost importance to arouse, organize, and mobilize the youth to expose state terrorism, grave abuse of human rights," he added.
Movement Against Tyranny-Northern Mindanao spokesperson Rev. Fr. Roland Abejo, for his part, said the declaration of martial law in Mindanao has got Duterte reveal his true agenda, especially for Marawi--a rehabilitation which will involve not the Marawi residents but the transnational and multinational corporations.
Abejo said peace cannot be achieved with the prolonging martial rule.
Instead, it will bring about more forced evacuations, militarization and military encampments, closure of schools, and more human rights violations.
"If the government truly wants to achieve peace, it must do so with social justice. It must address the roots of armed conflict in the countryside and realize that it is only a matter of time until the people will take a stand against these atrocities," he added.