MARAWI CITY, Lanao del Sur (PIA)--The city government of Marawi has pleaded to higher authorities of the national government to pour more budget and effect changes to the Republic Act No. 11696, otherwise known as the Marawi Siege Victims Compensation Act of 2022. 

To recall, this was signed into law in April 2022 by then President Rodrigo Roa Duterte to provide reparation and compensation to residents whose properties were defaced or wrecked, and with some of their kins lost due to a five-month clash that broke out between government troops and Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS)-linked Maute group. 

Following this, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. established the Marawi Compensation Board (MCB) with the Bangsamoro Transition Authority’s (BTA’s) Former Member of Parliament Lawyer Maisara Dandamun-Latiph installed as the chairperson and eight others as members. 

On May 23 this year, the group presented the final and official implementing rules and regulations (IRR) stipulating the benefits the legitimate claimants are entitled to receive. 

Before this, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) announced that they had apportioned P1 billion from the 2023 national budget lodged under the P31-million calamity fund for next year. 

Witnessing the massive influx of applicants expecting to be paid by the MCB, Mayor Majul Gandamra realized that the initial amount allocated was inadequate to cover all of them. 

With this, he appealed to the Ad Hoc Committee on the Marawi Rehabilitation and Victims Compensation of the House of Representatives to help lobby for the additional amount.

Gandamra further called for the inclusion of villages situated outside ground zero, maintaining that the populace there have sustained damages in their properties and living because of the same tragic incident. 

“We appealed to the committee for additional compensation funds after the overwhelming number of applications from the survivors… We appealed for the amendment of the existing laws to include least affected area (LAA) survivors in the compensation,” he said. 

Notwithstanding their earnest request, Gandamra has earlier conveyed their solid backing of the endeavors of the independent MCB as they share the same goal of guiding the siege-impacted citizens to be fully healed. 

“While it is true that the Marawi local government unit does not have much to do with the actual proceedings of the board, it is in solidarity with the Marawi constituents in hoping and praying that the compensation to be bequeathed will be given equitably and efficiently, that it reaches those who truly need it the most,” he said. 

Currently, the MCB is still in the process of accepting and validating applications. It commenced on July 4 this year and shall run until July 3, 2024. (CRG/PIA-10/Lanao del Sur)