By Dominic I. Sanchez
ZAMBOANGA CITY - Displaced persons from the September siege urged Congress recently to prioritize the passage of the proposed Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) bill during a public inquiry on human rights situation in this city conducted by the House Committee on Human Rights led by its chair, Congressman Guillermo Romarate Jr. of the second district of Surigao del Norte.
“We urge the committee representatives and the Senate to please fast-track the passage of this IDP bill,” appealed Gamar Hassan, an IDP from barangay Rio Hondo.
Mr. Hassan shared in said gathering the difficulties and the trauma that he and his fellow residents have experienced during and even after the crisis. At the height of the skirmishes in September, they were not allowed to leave their barangays, and others who were supposed to bring them food were prevented from getting inside ground zero by the military. Mr. Hassan recalled that they were literally starving.
However, Task Force Zamboanga (TFZ) Commander Col. Andrelino Colina explained that safety of the residents was of paramount concern; hence they could not risk people moving in and out of ground zero at that time for fear of having them caught between the crossfire.
“We were lullabied by firefights,” Mr. Hassan recalls.
Yet, even after the last shots were fired, the IDPs’ plight continues. Almost five months since September 9, thousands of them are still homeless and suffering.
Mr. Hassan said that many IDPs at the evacuation centers have already died due to dehydration and other diseases because of the unfavorable sanitation and over-all situation there. He added that every night, the IDPs dream of returning home, but wake up to a sad reality - they are still at the evacuation centers.
Most of the IDPs from Rio Hondo have lost their homes, property and their only means of livelihood (seaweeds farming) to the fires and explosions that occurred during the height of the crisis. They have no home to go back to, and have no choice but to wait until the rehabilitation of their communities would be done – in approximately 18 months.
“Our homes, our personal belongings were not protected. We suspect that there might have been looting before the burning of the structures,” Mr. Hassan added.
Yesterday morning, Congressman Romarate along with Bayan Muna representative Carlos Zarate and Gabriella representative Luzviminda Ilagan, and local officials including Mayor Maria Isabelle Climaco-Salazar and Congressman Celso Lobregat visited ground zero, the evacuation centers and the temporary resettlement sites. “We saw with our own eyes the difficulties of the IDPs,” he said.
According to Congressman Romarate, the purpose of this inquiry is to aid the committee in crafting the law promoting the rights of IDPs and to address any lack of provisions in four bills on IDPs already filed (House Bills 239, 2247, 3003 and 3146, protection of internally displaced persons). “These rights include promotion and protection of their rights, access to basic necessities, protection from criminal offenses, freedom and right to liberty of movement, and others,” he said.
Congressman Romarate emphasized that there is a sense of urgency to the bill’s passage; it seeks to provide a remedy for the IDPs’ plight until they would already come back home.
“We need to gather as much information from the different agencies, stakeholders, and especially the IDPs themselves, which will be reinforcements for the bill,” said Congressman Romarate.
Present during the committee hearing were different government agencies including the Commission on Human Rights, Department of Social Welfare and Development, Department of Interior and Local Government, the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine National Police, representatives from civil society groups and the media. (PIA9)
