BASILAN CONGRESSMAN Mujiv Hataman has sought public support for a proposed law that would compensate victims of the five-month Marawi siege.
Hataman and Rep. Amihilda Sangcopan, of Anak Mindanao partylist, filed House Bill 3543, known as “Marawi Siege Victims Compensation Act of 2019,” which seeks to quantify and eventually legislate payment for lost, damaged or destroyed properties of victims of the 2017 crisis. Both lawmakers cited the current deplorable state of the evacuated residents who are still waiting on the government’s promise of rehabilitation.
“As the bill goes through the legislative process, we need every ounce of support from our Meranaw brothers and sisters whose strength sustains their calls for justice. We also seek support from the rest of the Filipino people, whose solidarity is necessary for this bill to pass as a national expression of the government’s commitment to its people,” Hataman, a former governor of the Muslim autonomous region, said.
He said if this urgent piece of legislation passes into law, it will address the grievances of Meranaw who have survived the siege, but still suffering due to a continuous cycle of injustice. Among the most important provisions of House Bill 3543 is the granting of monetary compensation for real estate properties damaged or destroyed during the siege.
The bill pegged the amount at P1,500 per square meter for residences and P2,000 per square meter for commercial structures. There are, however, preconditions in the granting of this amount, which are specified on the bill’s Chapter 3 (Claimants and Compensation), specifically sections 14 and 15. Payment applies only to lawful owners of the properties lost or damaged.
“Two years after the Marawi siege, it is heart-breaking that many Meranaw families affected by the crisis still spend their Eid in tents and temporary shelters. I am with them in their suffering and I pray that their suffering will be eased both in law and in life,” Hataman said. “I also pray that the rehabilitation of the affected areas will be completed without delay, so that the Meranaw can once again come home to the land of their ancestors, especially the residents of Marawi City.”
He said the measure entails the creation of the Marawi Compensation Board, which will be allocated a P30-billion budget to implement its mandate of compensating property owner victims.
The board, Hataman said, will have 9 members appointed by the President, comprising of representatives from civil society groups, which include the Ulama. The board’s majority should be lawyers. The board will have a secretariat that would be assisted by the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council and the National Housing Authority – two major agencies tasked in the rehabilitation of Marawi.
“More than anything, this is our obligation as Muslims and as Moro legislators. We sincerely believe the government has not forgotten the people of Marawi. Together, we will do our best to advocate and push for initiatives that will help restore the city the Meranaw calls home, and support them as they assert their right to their heritage, their land and their lives,” Hataman said.
He said the compensation amount proposed in House Bill 3543 could be described as just a small fraction of the cost of constructing new structures at current prices. “This is notwithstanding the trauma suffered by displaced families and small business owners, including those that have spent over two years in temporary shelters provided by both the government and non-governmental organizations,” Hataman said, adding, “such compensation, however, would be significant in helping many families and local entrepreneurs in pursuing their recovery plans, as well as provide hope for those who felt they were left alone by the government these past two years.”
Heavily-armed members of the jihadist Maute group and the Abu Sayyaf and other pro-ISIS militants occupied Marawi in the restive province of Lanao del Sur in an attempt to establish a caliphate and sparking fierce clashes that resulted in the destruction of the city. Because of the siege, President Rodrigo Duterte placed the whole of Southern Philippines under a state of martial law. (With additional report from the Mindanao Examiner.)
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