Some Marawi residents who were united as a group are planning to file a class suit against the government under the administraiton of Pres. Rody Duterte for the alleged destruction of the city’s properties and the deaths of civilians due to the conflict between state forces and local terrorists who pledges allegiance wit the ISIS.
In a joint statement released to the local media in Mindanao, two support groups of the Marawi Crisis victims said that Pres. Duterte should be made accountable for the devastation brought by the fighting between government troops and members of the Abu Sayyaf, Maute Group and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighers (BIFF).
The Marawi ciris has displaced thousands of civilians who fled during the first few days of the conflict. During the siege, residents have witnessed various forms of abuses being committed not just by the extremists but also by the state agents.
According to Jerome Succor Aba, spokesperson of the Suara Bangsamoro, the above-mentioned incidents will be the basis of the class suit that the victims will be filing against the Duterte administration.
Aide Ibrahim of Tindeg Ranao also revealed that many of hte evacuees have already signed affidavits documenting the abuses they had experienced by government troops.
She said during the second round of the National Interfaith Humanitarian Mission (NIHM), some of the civilians have recounted the violations allegedly committed by soldiers. Ibrahim said more evacuees are willing to execute affidavits to bolster the filing of the class suit.
Aba said the reports collated from the NIHM will be also be used as documentary evidence. Both Ibrahim and Aba have yet to give the exact date of the filing as more documents are still being prepared.
In a joint statement, both Tindeg Ranao and Suara Bangsamoro are calling for the lifting of martial law in Mindanao as residents in Marawi have expressed their desire to return to their homes after Pres. Rodrigo Duterte declared the besieged city as “liberated.”
Source: RMN Mindanao
Comments are closed.