Lanao solon urges PBBM: Appoint Compensation Board members, ensure Marawi rehab
Lanao del Sur 1st District Rep. Ziaur-Rahman “Zia” Alonto Adiong on Monday, Oct. 17, called on President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. to appoint the nine members who will compose the Marawi Compensation Board, which will then jumpstart the long-delayed process of rehabilitation in the war-torn city.

In a statement, the lawmaker commemorated the end of the Marawi siege on this day five years ago.
But although it was a day of “liberation” and Meranaos “are thankful for all the assistance and support” they received through the years, the lawmaker said “it is not enough for us to subsist on scraps and endure life's difficulties when we know that we can build a better future together for our people.”
“We sincerely hope that the President will heed our call for the timely implementation of a law that makes it possible for the people of Marawi City to live with the honor and dignity that comes with having our rights and freedoms upheld,” Adiong said.
“The Marawi Compensation Bill is an expression of hope as much as it is an expression of what is right and just in accordance with our laws,” he added.
Lamenting that many Meranaos, including his own family, are still unable to return to Marawi City, the solon stated that their communities remain displaced.
READ: PH Army preps for 5th anniversary of Marawi liberation
And while they are thankful that the 18th Congress passed Republic Act 11696 or Marawi Compensation Bill, the Marawi Compensation Board has yet to be appointed.
“For this to happen, the President must appoint the nine members of the said board based on the qualifications set by law,” Adiong said.
Without the board, there could be no Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR), which are necessary for the full realization of the law.
The five-month armed confrontation between government forces and pro-ISIS militants in Marawi in 2017 displaced 98 percent of the total population of the city, as well as residents from nearby municipalities.
The residents were compelled to leave due to severe food shortage and constriction of local economies.
Adiong hoped that Meranaos can someday look back on this day “by finding comfort and relief in what we have rebuilt and regained together, instead of feeling melancholy over what we have lost to a war that was violently brought into our homes.”
“The law is clearly on our side; the only thing left to do is to affirm the law in (the) service of our communities and our people,” he added.