THE Philippine government will not pay for the alleged stolen properties of the Marawi evacuees, Secretary Eduardo del Rosario of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC) said on Friday.

“We will not pay for those [alleged stolen items]because it is very hard to validate that jewelry, money, were indeed stolen,” Rosario said in a news conference.

“No country in the world will allocate aid for alleged stolen properties. That is not part of the assistance that will be coming from the government,” Rosario said.

In November 2017, six military officials were charged after they were caught stealing from houses in Marawi City at the time when the IS-inspired Maute terrorists took Marawi City under siege, which lasted for five months.

Colonel Romeo Brawner, Task Group Ranao deputy commander, said the looting was an isolated incident.

Rosario assured the public that the rehabilitation of war-torn Marawi would be done in four years.

“It will be done in four year, by the end of 2021. By done, we mean the area is fully developed by then. Basic facilities like water, power, telecommunications, will be all in place in what used to be ground zero or most affected area,” Rosario added.

President Rodrigo Duterte declared martial law in Marawi City on May 23, a declaration extended by Congress to six months and eventually, until December this year in a bid to suppress the rebellion led by the Maute group. LLANESCA T. PANTI