Compensation law authors forgot to list village where Marawi Siege started

MARAWI, Philippines – When members of Congress passed the law that mandates the government to compensate people who suffered during the 2017 Marawi Siege, they forgot to include those from the barangay where it all started.

Basac Malutlut, the village in Marawi City where the fighting started in 2017 between Maute militants and government troops, was not included in the law that listed the affected 32 villages due for reparations.

Lanao del Sur Governor Mamintal Adiong Jr. said the oversight would mean none of the people who suffered losses in Barangay Basac Malutlut have a legal basis to make claims based on Republic Act No. 11696, otherwise known as the Marawi Siege Compensation Act of 2022.

“How can this be when Barangay Basac Malutlut was the place where the fighting started in 2017?” a disappointed Adiong said.

Of the 32 barangays, 24 have been identified in the law as “most affected areas” (MAA). The barangays under MAA include:

• Lumbac Madaya
• South Madaya
• Raya Madaya 1
• Raya Madaya 2
• Sabala Amanao
• Sabala Amanao Proper
• Tolali
• Daguduban
• Norhaya Village
• Banggolo Poblacion
• Bubong Madaya
• Lilod Madaya
• Dansalan
• Datu sa Dansalan
• Sangkay Dansalan
• Moncado Colony
• Moncado Kadilingan
• Marinaut West
• Marinaut East
• Kapantaran
• Wawalayan Marinaut
• Lumbac Marinaut
• Tuca Marinaut
• Datu Naga

Eight Marawi villages were listed under the “other affected areas” (OAA) category. These are the following:

• Saduc Proper
• Panggao Saduc
• Raya Saduc
• Lilod Saduc
• Datu Saber
• Bangon
• Fort 
• Wawalayan Caloocan

Local officials said Basac Malutlut is neither on the MAA nor OAA lists.

Adiong said he was baffled and couldn’t understand how the congressmen and senators who authored the law missed out the village when the 2017 crisis started there.

The law was signed by then-president Rodrigo Duterte in April 2022.

Adiong said, “There was less damage in the buildings in the village, but most of the residents there lost money and jewelry in the looting that followed the fighting.”

The oversight, according to Adiong, was the reason Maranao leaders and stakeholders drafted their version of the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) which they planned to submit to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. before November so that nothing would be missed out.

On Tuesday, October 11, Adiong and other Maranao leaders called on Marcos to name members of the nine-seat Marawi Compensation Board so the quasi-judicial body could start its work.

They also urged Marcos to appoint only qualified Maranaos who were in Marawi during the 2017 Siege.

Task Force Bangon Marawi manager Felix Castro Jr. said the government’s rehabilitation work in Marawi slowed down, first during the election period, and then with the subsequent replacement of officials when Marcos took over. – Rappler.com