MANILA - Malacañang on Thursday asked the public to give two Chinese firms another chance to prove their capabilities, as critics blasted their inclusion in a consortium that will lead the rehabilitation of “ground zero” in war-torn Marawi City despite being once blacklisted by the World Bank.

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Critics have questioned the inclusion of China State Construction Engineering Corporation and China Geo-Engineering Corporation in the consortium after it was found that they were once blacklisted by the World Bank for allegedly colluding with Philippine companies to rig projects the bank partly financed.

The blacklist period for the two firms has since lapsed, the inter-agency Task Force Bangon Marawi noted.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said while the two firms were once blacklisted, they are still entitled to “a second opportunity.”

Roque sought to calm stakeholders wary about the inclusion of the two Chinese firms in the consortium, saying government would carefully monitor developments in the rehabilitation process.

“We’re not completely giving up the rebuilding of Marawi to the hands of private sector ‘no. This remains to be a government project, and the Task Force Bangon Marawi will focus on this,” Roque said in a mix of Filipino and English during a press briefing in Marawi City.

“We will monitor this together. This is ultimately our assurance that the contractors will fulfill their duties.”

Roque on Wednesday said the World Bank’s debarment of the two Chinese firms would not disqualify them from participating in the rehabilitation of war-torn Marawi City.

“Under either the law that provides for a Swiss challenge or the BOT (Build-Operate-Transfer) law, or the government procurement act, the one which should blacklist is the Philippine government for them to be disqualified [from] participating in any public tender,” Roque said in a video interview.

Earlier, opposition Liberal Party (LP) questioned the inclusion of the two Chinese firms, as local officials admitted that the companies' tainted past might affect public confidence.

“The people of Marawi already suffered enough. The administration should not aggravate their pain by turning a blind eye on martial law abuses and counting on Chinese contractors with questionable backgrounds to take charge of Marawi City’s rehabilitation,” the LP said in a statement.

Opposition lawmaker Magdalo party-list Rep. Gary Alejano said the Chinese firms' inclusion in the consortium should cause alarm.

“How can we assure that the Marawi rehabilitation would not be marred by corruption cases in the future with such kind of participating firms?” Alejano said in a statement released Thursday.

“It is quite suspect that again China is being favored for a government project this critical. The Duterte administration is really encouraging schemes for the Philippines to become overly dependent on China in exchange of our silence in the West Philippine Sea issue.”

The West Philippine Sea is the Philippines' exclusive economic zone in the South China Sea, where China lays expansive claims.

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LOCAL OFFICIALS WARY

Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao Assemblyman Zia Alonto Adiong, meanwhile, said while the legal aspect of the issue was easier to address, “here in Marawi City, we are also dealing with a battle of perception.”

“We have had the experience of (super typhoon) Yolanda. And we do not want any reason to replicate what happened at least on the perception of the people. We want to insulate the minds of the people from ever thinking that there’s a semblance of, you know, questionable dealings in the process,” Adiong said in a Wednesday press briefing at the Lanao del Sur provincial capitol.

“We [want to] avoid the misconception that might arise in the minds of the people that because there are several… possible potential developers that are to handle the reconstruction with a questionable past, that might lead to something, not only frustration, but it may lead to something worse than frustration or disappointment. And we cannot afford that to happen.”

Marawi City Mayor Majul Gandamra shared Adiong’s view, saying “legally speaking and technically speaking, there was no problem with that. But morally, the reconstruction or rebuilding of Marawi City should be devoid of any stigma of impropriety.”

The Philippines on Wednesday marked the first year since the breakout of the Marawi crisis, which saw Islamic State-inspired terrorists capture parts of the predominantly Islamic city in a bid to establish a stronghold in Southeast Asia.

Over 1,000 people, mostly ISIS-inspired terrorists, were killed and at least 200,000 residents were displaced during the 5-month siege. The government has yet to fully reopen the city to civilians, some of whom wish to rebuild their homes.