MARAWI CITY, Lanao del Sur (PIA)--Marawi Compensation Board (MCB) personnel expressed their appreciation and gratitude to Senator Risa Hontiveros for being one of the lawmakers who enacted the Republic Act No. 11696 or the Marawi Siege Victims Compensation Act of 2022 which aims to compensate the victims of the Marawi Siege in 2017. 

Hontiveros in Marawi City visited the MCB office on Thursday, September 14, to check on the implementation of the said Act.

"Isa rin akong IDP na nagsuffer ng katakot-takot na experience dito sa Marawi at hindi namin makakalimutan ang tulong ninyo (Senator Hontiveros). Ipapasa namin ito sa aming mga anak at apo na huwag kayong kalimutan kasi malaki ang tulong ninyo saamin," said MCB Board Member Dalomabi Bula.

(I am also an IDP who suffered a terrible experience here in Marawi and we will never forget your help Senator Hontiveros. We will pass it on to our children and grandchildren to not forget you as you helped us a lot.)

"Thank you (Senator Hontiveros) for fighting for the victims of the Marawi siege. said 

MCB Board Member Atty. Sittie Aliah Adiong said she is also thankful to the senator for fighting for the victims of the Marawi siege. "Hindi man mababayaran ang sacrifices pero at least, makakapagsimula sila at makaka-create ng (the sacrifices cannot be repaid, but at least, they can start and create) new memories," she said.

Apart from the gratitude conveyed by MCB Chairperson Lawyer Maisara Dandamun-Latiph to Senator Hontiveros for leading and further improving RA No. 11696, she also raised the clamor of the IDPs to expand the coverage of the law.

"Napakarami po ang inamenda at dinagdag. Halos kumpleto na po. May isa lang naiwanan, yung survivors. Nakita rin po natin sa clarificatory hearing ang pait na dinaanan at dinanas ng mga nakasurvive at hindi sila makakuha ng kompensasyon pero hopefully with the coming days, we would be able to file our position paper para mayroon din sakanila," said Latiph. 

(A lot has been amended and added. It's almost complete. There was only one left behind, the survivors. We also saw in the clarificatory hearing the bitterness that the survivors went through and suffered, and they were not able to get compensation but hopefully, in the coming days, we will be able to file our position paper so that they will be compensated too.) (JND/PIA-10/Lanao del Sur)