Be a saviour or a mendicant

Messiahs and saviours were in most cases illiterate and found in unexpected places and from less known, disunited peoples."

The Marawi Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) should not solely rely on politicians, Ulama, professionals, and civic or traditional leaders. Not all are unreliable but most often, these groups' grandstanding contribute to the confusions in our midst and our miseries.

Three years is an unquestionable proof of a failure to return the evacuees to their devastated homes prompting some to accuse those involved in the Marawi rehab as making Marawi a milking cow, what of the multi-billion dollars aid from various sources to Marawi.

It is time the IDPs take the cudgel by themselves to defend themselves, assert their trampled right and do what is necessary. Use your voice. Talk to the friendly but established media, not SM pretenders.

Write to the government of your grievances, your heartaches, feelings and sentiments. Let the international community learn of your suffering not by or through self-anointed and appointed leaders or leaders who become so due to their gold, guns and goons, but by you yourselves as evacuees. Your voice is better heard from you directly than from those with self-vested interest.

You should select an honest independent-minded leader from among you IDPs even if he is not a professional, a religious scholar, civic or traditional leader.

Otherwise, let us just wait day by day for dole out like mendicant. (RSP)