To strengthen our communication drive, the Chairperson and Board Secretary of the MCB have been guesting almost every month on Salaam Radio 738 and Radyo Pilipinas (Metro Manila), DXSO Radyo Pilipinas Marawi, and Saksi Radio Forum (SRF), and other various media channels to inform claimants about updates on the MCB.

We have distributed our infographics to the public so that claimants are guided accordingly. To support this IEC, the MCB has community information officers who timely announce to the public any updates or advisories from MCB through regular visitations of IDP shelters and social media pages.

On 10 July 2023, MCB collaborated with the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP), the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO), National Prosecution Service (NPS), Bangsamoro Human Rights Commission (BHRC), and the Provincial Government of Lanao del Sur on a Legal Assistance Hub for claimants and the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF) for a Legal Assistance Desk for claimant-IDPs.

These MCB initiatives in collaboration with these institutions provided guidance and legal advice to IDPs filing claims with MCB. They offered free notarial services to claimants for their supporting documents as well as legal advice and document preparation.

For inclusivity and the people’s participation, our implementing rules and regulations were promulgated with the participation of the public in a series of consultations and meetings, including a series of visits to prospective IDP claimants in various temporary and permanent shelters in Marawi City.

As of 17 May 2024, MCB has awarded over P175 million. The awarding ceremonies were widely publicized.

Had Mr. Lanto exercised a modicum amount of due diligence, he could have easily fact-checked these in newspapers as well as online. However, he failed to check his facts as is customary for his articles.

He is more concerned that “[s]ilence or a dearth of information leads to unsavory rumor-mongering” that makes “fertile ground for ‘marites.’” We do not have time to draw attention to a matter that draws its basis on rumors.

The MCB did not rest in its IEC drive. We continued doing public engagements with the claimants in their communities, with the local city government and barangays, and periodic conversations with civil society, and other stakeholders. Recently, we held regular dialogues with stakeholders last 7, 8, 9, 14, 15 and 16 May and we will continue to do. This is to combat the misinformation and disinformation which are now prevalent in social media about the valuation process.

“What gives Marawi Compensation Board (1)” (12 April 2024):

After Daily Tribune’s untruthful publication, in the next column, Mr. Lanto upped the ante when he displayed disparaging slanderous language. It published that MCB had acted with “willful abuse of authority,” “grave abuse of power,” and “highly anomalous” because it did not apply CoA Circular No. 2020-006. These are actual malicious statements.

Last 23 April 2024, during a meeting between IBP-Lanao del Sur and MCB, where Mr. Lanto was present, it was explained to him that the CoA circular was not applicable as it applied only to government properties, not to private properties which are the subject of MCB’s determination of compensation.

In his subsequent article, despite explaining to him and he, on his part had not presented any law or jurisprudence on this issue, he continued to insist on the application of the CoA circular.

Further, he stated that “the Board used the assessed values of properties from the Assessor’s Office of Lanao del Sur (LDS) as a guide for valuation, not of Marawi City. This is highly anomalous.”

No less than the City Assessor of Marawi City who wrote the MCB on 11 January 2024 stated that the city’s valuation was “outdated” because it had “not been updated since 2011 or for more than 12 years.” How can MCB apply an obsolete valuation as admitted by the City Assessor? It would be unconscionably unjust to the claimants.

(To be continued)

amb_mac_lanto@yahoo.com