MARAWI, Philippines – An independent development monitoring group has opposed proposed changes to the rules implementing a law meant to compensate victims of the 2017 Marawi siege, warning that the amendments could lead to further delays for thousands still waiting to rebuild their lives.
The Marawi Reconstruction Conflict Watch (MRCW) has flagged two key revisions in the proposed amendments to the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of the Marawi Siege Victims Compensation Act. The law provides financial reparation for residents affected by the five-month battle between government forces and the ISIS-linked Maute Group in the Muslim-majority city in the Bangsamoro region.
“These amendments will bring more delays and uncertainty to Marawi’s internally displaced peoples, who have now suffered for eight years and are still unable to return to their homes. They will affect vital social services needed by the people of Marawi to rebuild and recover,” the group said in a statement.
One proposed amendment, posted on the Facebook page of the Marawi Compensation Board (MCB), would result in staggered payments for claims exceeding P5 million. Claims under that amount would be paid in full once a decision is final, while the remaining amount for larger claims would be paid in a second tranche through a yet-to-be-determined mechanism.
The other proposed change would transfer the processing of some claims – particularly for properties affected by state-led rehabilitation and demolition programs – to agencies like the National Housing Authority (NHA), under the Right-of-Way Act.
On April 3, the MCB held a public consultation on the proposed changes, saying these were designed to streamline the compensation process. But the MRCW, citing the clamor of Marawi’s displaced residents, said any such shift in responsibility would only breed confusion and more red tape.
The MCB, which was created to implement the compensation law, has five years from May 2023 to complete its mandate.
As of April 15, the board had resolved 1,857 claims, approving 1,430 claims worth more than P2.46 billion. Of this, P1.79 billion has been awarded to 1,052 claimants, according to official data.
Fahad Madid, MCB information officer, defended the board’s actions in an interview with Rappler following a protest staged by claimants in Marawi early this week. Protesters accused the board of failing to fulfill its promises.
“We have a public post on Facebook showing that we successfully delivered their requests to the National Housing Authority, which we also included in the memorandum of agreement . There is no truth to claims that we failed to fulfill our promise to them,” he said.
Madid said communication gaps were caused by a transition in leadership and a shortage of personnel, but assured that the board remained committed to accelerating compensation. He added that dialogues were held with protesters and that ongoing discussions with NHA would soon finalize the implementing guidelines.
“Hindi po pwedeng i-download muna ang pera ng mga may approved notice of decision dahil hindi pa klaro ang guidelines – sa amin ba sa MCB or sa NHA,” he said.
(We can’t release the budget for claimants with approved notices of decision because the guidelines are not yet clear – whether it falls under MCB or NHA.)
He stressed that if the MOA with the NHA is approved, documents already submitted would be transferred to the latter, and applicants would not need to reapply.
“A total of P5.3 billion has been allotted for Marawi compensation this year. Instead of amending the IRR and transferring the processing of claims to other agencies,” MRCW stated, urging the board to stay focused on completing its original mandate.
A follow-up dialogue was held after the protest, where both parties agreed to engage community leaders in Marawi and Lanao del Sur to ensure faster payouts.
No timeline has been released for the finalization of the IRR amendments or for the disbursement of pending large claims. Many displaced families remain in temporary shelter. – Rappler.com
Abdul Hafiz Tacoranga Malawani is a campus journalist from Marawi City, Lanao del Sur studying Information Technology at Mindanao State University Marawi. The editor in chief of Mindanao Varsitarian, he is also an Aries Rufo Fellowship candidate from April-May 2025. Meanwhile, Franck Dick Rosete is a journalist based in Cagayan de Oro.