I phoned Moro activist, Sultan Ali Bebot Mindalano, to discuss issues of common concern. Being resident-victims of the Marawi siege, our exchanges veered towards raging issues about our place. We shared common observation that there is indeed an inordinate delay in the reconstruction and rehabilitation of Marawi promised by government.

This problem must be addressed with dispatch as it is turning into discontent, that will eventually morph into more serious unpeace. He mentioned about the emotionally-charged atmosphere in the transitional shelters and evacuation centers among IDP or internally displaced persons as worrisome.

In an earlier article I wrote in another paper I warned about the creeping shift of blame for the misery of the Maranaws and the ruin of their city from the Maute-Islamic State jihadists to the government. Their seething rage against the rebels has probably been tempered by the passage of time. But this wave of discontent could be assuaged, if not reversed, if the rehab of the city and payment of equitable compensation to the victims are accelerated.

It is disquieting, if not incredulous, that almost a year after the war, the much-touted rehab project has not yet started. There was much anticipation for its start. If memory serves right the date for the ground-breaking ceremony was first set on 7 July but postponed to 31 August of this year.

The reason for the delay is not easily understood by the ordinary man on the street in Marawi (outside ground zero where life is gradually returning to normalcy). Truth be told, they are actually in the dark on the reason for the delay. They may not comprehend that from bits of information that this column has sorted out, there has been some sort of “technical glitch,” if you may, or failure of award to the consortium chosen to undertake the humongous project (we protested earlier the presence of two Chinese firms in the group which were previously blacklisted by government).

Their simple mind is perplexed why despite the order of their leader and kin, President Digong, to speed up the rebuilding it is still mired in a labyrinthine administrative processes like public bidding, Swiss challenge (preferred by Digong) and other bureaucratic hurdles wrapped in jargon foreign to them. They need explaining that these are measures designed to protect government funds from being misused and prevent shortchanging of the project.

They cannot care less that Chair Eduardo del Rosario of Task Force Bangon Marawi (TFBM), who appears to possess the bona fides for the herculean job, has no control over its members, tasked with vetting the bidders for the project. It is composed of representatives of various departments of government with diverse mandate, persuasion and prejudices, if any.

Recall that even before the smoke of battle has settled, government posthaste created by executive fiat the TFBM headed by Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, a retired military officer, diplomat and native of Parang, Maguindanao familiar with the peculiar culture of Morolandia. After a few months, another retired military general, Del Rosario, head of the National Housing Authority, took over the helm, the logic perhaps being that because the bulk of the work of the task force is rebuilding of structures, the knowledge, if not expertise, of somebody in the housing industry will be handy.

We see the sincere commitment of Del Rosario to carry out his mandate and eagerness to start the project the soonest possible time but this is a matter beyond his power. Perhaps this snag should have been anticipated by the TFBM and a sort of “Plan B” pre-devised.

Given this problem, the most sensible thing to do is for the TFBM to continue its dialogue with stakeholders and intensify its information campaign to educate and explain to the stakeholders the reason for the delay to ease their worry and somehow pour cold water over their burning rage for the tragedy that befell them.

The destruction of the city is so huge and pervasive that rehab works might outlive the term of Digong. That thought unsettles the Maranaws because of uncertainty that the President after him will be as assiduous to continue the work.