THE Marawi Compensation Board has received claims amounting to P800 million from residents whose properties and buildings were destroyed during a five-month bloody siege between the Philippine military and Daesh-inspired Maute gunmen in 2017.
Maisara Dandamun-Latiph, chairperson of the Marawi Compensation Board said the figures are estimates they made based on the more than 2,013 claims they received since July 4.
Latiph said the family of Yasir Naga, a former member of the Regional Legislative Assembly of the now-defunct Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (Armm), has made a claim of P53 million for the Pacasum College, an ancestral house, and a commercial building they have owned and which were destroyed by the 2017 shelling and fighting.
“In Marawi City, there are many families like Naga who lost their properties in 2017 and all of them are seeking compensation. There are small property owners who lost their buildings too. The P1 billion compensation money would not be enough to cover the expenses,” she said.
Latiph said this is the explanation she made to the House ad hoc committee on Marawi Rehabilitation in Manila last week.
“On July 4 alone, we processed the claims for P800 million in one single day,” Latiph said.
The Marawi Compensation Board is seeking a bigger allocation in the 2024 budget from Congress.
Under Republic Act no. 116961, otherwise known as the Marawi Siege Victims Compensation Act of 2022, the government provided a tax-free P1 billion compensation to pay Marawi residents who lost properties or have families killed as a result of the fighting.
Latip said they received 21 claims from families who have family members killed in the fighting. Government figures set the number of civilians killed in the fighting at 1,000.
She said heirs of those killed will receive compensation of P350,000.
Latiph clarified that the board had not made a payment to the 2,013 claims filed in their office.
“The money is still intact with the Department of Budget and Management Office. We have not even started reviewing those claims yet,” Latiph said.
Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong (1st District, Lanao del Sur) said the ad hoc committee on the Marawi Rehabilitation is “seriously” considering granting the request of the MCB for additional funding and have taken steps to talk to House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez.
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