MANILA, Philippines – Hindi pa rin nagagalaw ang nasa P2 bilyong ponding inilaan sa 2024 budget para bayaran ang mga residente ng Marawi na apektado ng 2017 siege, ayon sa Department of Budget and Management (DBM).
Sinabi ni DBM Secretary Amenah Pangandaman na ang utilization rate sa kompensasyon sa Marawi siege victims ay nasa 57.42% noong 2023 at 0% ngayong 2024.
“The release of the same [compensation for Marawi siege victims] is subject to the submission of actual compensation claims. To date, the MCB (Marawi Compensation Board has not yet requested the release of its fiscal year 2024 appropriation for this program,” ani Pangandaman sa panayam ng GMA News.
Nagsimula na ang deliberasyon ng Kongreso sa proposed budget ng iba’t ibang ahensya ng pamahalaan para a 2025.
Humihirit ang national government ng P6.352 trilyong pondo para sa susunod na taon.
Ayon kay Lanao del Sur Representative Zia Adiong, mayroong “low utilization rate” ang badyet para sa kompensasyon ng Marawi siege victims dahil sa kapansin-pansing pagpapababa sa halaga ng kompensasyon para sa mga benepisyaryo.
Ito ang sinabi ni Adiong nang tanungin kung paano magpapatuloy ang implementasyon ng aid distribution na itinakda sa Marawi compensation law kung ang proposed 2025 budget para sa nasabing batas ay nasa P1 bilyon lamang, mas mababa sa P2 bilyon mula sa 2024 budget.
“The problem, based on the last oversight committee that we conducted in the Senate, is the valuation standard which is the fair market value. Some eligible beneficiaries of these compensation packages felt that the valuation is problematic because it will reduce the amount the claimants will get,” aniya.
“The arrangement is [somehow between a] willing buyer and willing seller. They will go to the area, go to the property and then determine kung ano, how much the destroyed property is worth…they will value and they will assess. Eh hindi na naman kami nagbebenta,” dagdag pa.
Anang mambabatas, kailangang amyendahan ang Marawi compensation law dahil ito ay ipinasa para magbigay ng hustisya at healing sa mga taong nawalan ng ari-arian at kapamilya dahil sa siege.
Dagdag pa, hindi rin ito para sa mga residenteng nais ibenta ang kanilang mga ari-arian.
“There is an issue in utilization rate because some of the families might have already submitted all the requirements…but after their vetting process and they are able to finally receive the compensation package, they back out because of the lower rate. Because the Marawi compensation law is not something that should deal with the fair market value alone,” ayon kay Adiong.
“It is not an issue of [if there is] a willing buyer and willing seller. This is a social justice piece of legislation. That point [of social justice] was not really appreciated in the way the government pays the eligible beneficiaries,” dagdag niya.
Sa pag-ayemnda sa compensation law, dapat na gawin ito sa fair market value amount bilang basis of compensation.
Ang fair market value clause ay ipinakilala sa Senado sa bicameral conference committee nang pirmahan ni dating Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte ang hakbang bilang isang batas noong Abril 2022.
“We need to focus on the valuation mode. The agreement that we had now with our Senate counterpart is to revisit the law and introduce an amended bill so the Marawi compensation board will have a wider elbow room to determine which valuation mode to use so they can faithfully adhere to the principle of social justice system,” ani Adiong.
“The question [now] is how fast can we provide and how [receptive] recipients are of the actual payment. Hindi naman nagbebenta. Nasiraan kami [ng ari-arian]. Kailangan maintindihan natin na ‘yung [Marawi] Compensation Board is [there] for social healing, to deliver a social justice piece of legislation,” dagdag pa.
Nakipag-ugnayan na umano siya kay Pangandaman, at siniguro naman ng DBM chief ang mas malaking badyet para sa Marawi compensation law basta’t tumaas din ang utilization rate nito.
“We initially requested a higher amount, but even if we get our desired amount and it remains unutilized, then it would be inefficient to do that. If we request for more, it should also reflect the utilization rate,” aniya. RNT/JGC
