MARAWI CITY, Lanao del Sur (PIA)--Senator Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa firmly conveyed his belief that the passage of Republic Act No. 11696, otherwise known as the Marawi Siege Victims Compensation Act of 2022, would serve as the end resolution to truly complete the overall rehabilitation of the war-torn city here.

"When I co-sponsored Republic Act No. 11696, or the Marawi Siege Victims Compensation Act of 2022, I mentioned that this law will be the final piece that will complete the government efforts to rebuild the beautiful city of Marawi," he said in the ceremonial opening of the compensation process, July 18.

Manifested in the law is the mandate bestowed upon the Marawi Compensation Board (MCB), which is to provide reparation and compensation to the qualified claimants with properties destroyed or mangled and families dead or missing as a result of the intensive firefight in 2017.

With the board chaired by the Bangsamoro Transition Authority’s former Member of Parliament, Lawyer Maisara Dandamun-Latiph, and stirred by eight other professional and competitive members, Dela Rosa is confident that legitimate claimants would no longer suffer in processing their payments as this would be granted accordingly.

The senator recalled that the Department of Budget and Management had already included P1 billion in the national budget for law enforcement.

He clarified that this might be a small amount to cover all claimants, but this was only preliminary, and then guaranteed that they would ensure that sufficient funding would be available.

Dela Rosa further vowed that the grant of compensation to the victims of the destructive terrorist act would not be the end of government efforts to render quality lives, which he believed the populace in this city deserved.

He stressed that they would not only want the displaced residents to head back to their old homes in Ground Zero, but he also wanted them to be empowered to learn from their past unfortunate experiences where they displayed bravery.

"You have suffered numerous times. As much as we want to admire your resilience to withstand the suffering you endured, I want you to know that your government will not allow you to be caught in the crossfire once again," said Dela Rosa. (CRG/PIA-10/Lanao del Sur)