Vice President Leni Robredo on Sunday renewed calls for a more urgent approach on the rehabilitation process of Marawi City three years after the declaration of liberty from the IS-Maute group.

As the country commemorates the liberation of Marawi City after a five-month siege, Robredo said the lives of the innocent people are remembered and soldiers, who showed courage and determination, are being honored.

“To this day, thousands of Marawi's residents remain displaced, its buildings remain in ruins, and the city has yet to reclaim any semblance of normalcy, much less its former glory as a cultural and economic hub,” she said.

“Liberation entails much more than silencing the gunfire. Today we remember the Marawi we lost, even as we renew the call for a more urgent approach to the rehabilitation process, and recommit to the rebuilding of a more peaceful and prosperous city,” she said.

Robredo said Marawi today is a reminder that violent extremism remains one of the biggest threats to society.

“And to truly address it, frustrations must be met with compassion. Empowerment must become the foremost imperative. Equitable and inclusive progress must be achieved for the people of Marawi,” the vice president said.

In May 2017, the Marawi siege broke out when joint military and police forces launched a “surgical operation” to capture Isnilon Hapilon, the emir of the Islamic State (IS) forces in the Philippines, but stumbled into an entire city of armed men.

It resulted to the death of hundreds of soldiers, policemen, civilians, and even the alleged terrorists.

After five months of battle, President Rodrigo Duterte declared the city free from the influence of terrorist groups. Ella Dionisio/DMS