Marawi siege victims received over P148M compensation —board

A total of P148,848,794 of compensation was recently awarded to some victims of the 2017 Marawi siege, according to the Marawi Compensation Board (MCB).

In a statement, the MCB said the compensation was given to beneficiaries of 86 death claims as well as 32 structural and personal property claims.

“I am thankful for what my family received from MCB. Losing a child was so hard. I have endured so much. But I cannot do anything because it is God’s plan,” one of the claimants, Nora Culaste, said in local dialect.

In July 2023, the MCB opened the applications of claims including structural property, death, and personal property claims, among others. Just nearly a month after the opening, around 12,000 people already expressed interest in filing for claims, according to the MCB.

“Republic Act 11696 serves as a beacon of hope for those affected by Marawi Siege, offering a legal framework to redress the injustices endured, and provide monetary compensation,” MCB chairperson Maisara Dandamun-Latiph had said.

Victims who lost their homes during the Marawi siege may claim a compensation of P18,000 per square meter for totally damaged structures.

The MCB will also grant at least P350,000 to the families of those who died during the siege.

Around 17,800 households affected by the siege were also expected to receive financial aid, according to the board.

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. said in August 2023 that a total of P1 billion has been set aside for the Marawi Siege Victims Compensation Program in the proposed 2024 national budget.

The filing of applications for compensation ends on July 4, 2024.

The siege, which started in May 2017, was perpetrated by the Maute Group and lasted for several months. Then-President Rodrigo Duterte declared the city freed from the group in October of the same year. —Joviland Rita/KBK, GMA Integrated News