(In the interest of fair and balanced reporting, this column is giving way to the Letter to the Editor signed by its chairperson and sent by the Marawi Compensation Board on the issues raised by this writer regarding the compensation process. The letter is loaded with disparaging remarks for the alleged indiscretion, negligence and lack of fairness of this writer. Readers should take them with a grain of salt, although opinion writers are fair game for criticism. They eat criticism for breakfast. Nothing is personal about the exchange of contradicting views in a democratic space. And regular readers of this column must have noticed that I have never assailed the integrity and reputation of the Chair, known to be a loyal servant of and stickler for the law, and the members of the Board, some of whom are my relatives and acquaintances. It’s not in my character. Most of the complaint were quotations from other people who are identified anyway. As I had mentioned a number times, any reaction or comments to my articles should be sent to my email address at the bottom of my articles with the assurance that they will be considered for publication. Hereunder is the letter, unedited and unabridged)
21 May 2024
The Editor
RE: Southern Voices Opinion Column of Atty. Macabangkit Lanto regarding Marawi Compensation Board series of articles published in DAILY TRIBUNE
Assalamualaikum.
The Marawi Compensation Board (MCB) is shocked by the DAILY TRIBUNE’s threat of violence, incendiary, and libelous language against the MCB published and serialized in the seven articles of Atty. Macabangkit Lanto in Southern Voice on 26 March, 12, 16, and 26 April, and 1, 10, & 14 May, 2024.
Thus, the Board en banc of the MCB, the highest policy-making body, decided to call through this letter for your urgent and immediate attention. We hope that this similarly finds space in your newspaper.
“Quid nunc MCB” (26 March 2024):
Atty. Lanto claimed that MCB “had taken down” its Facebook (FB). This not true. It has never been “taken down.” Since MCB commenced its intake operations on 4 July 2023, the FB page has had over 25,000 followers. He also alleged that the claimants have no knowledge of how to apply for their claims. This is not true. Since 30 April 2024, almost 14,000 claimants filed their claims at the MCB Intake Center in Marawi City.
This substantial number of claims filed was due to MCB’s success in educating claimants on the process and documentary requirements for filing and the adjudication of their claims.
To describe our efforts in detail, we conducted face-to-face Information Education Campaigns for 32 temporary and permanent shelters of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and 32 Barangay Town Hall Meetings in Marawi City in the whole month of June 2023, a month prior to the filing of claims on 4 July 2023.
The MCB continued to inform the public on the process of application in communities and also utilized social and mainstream media channels.
Atty. Lanto also alleged our “deafening silence,” that no “texts or calls from anyone [were received],” that “[n]obody is in the house authoritative enough to answer queries.” This is not true.
Parallel with the phases of the claims process, the claimants were continuously apprised of the status of their claims and the entirety of the claims process. This happened during the filing, evaluation and adjudication of claims, ocular inspection, preliminary conference, and clarificatory hearings. These were complemented by our staff calling and texting the claimants on the progress of their claims. Should they wish to know the status of their claims, they also contacted our hotline. In addition, advisories and announcements were posted on a regular basis on the MCB FB page and MCB website, as well as conspicuous places in Marawi City.
We also have a “Know Your Status” link both in our FB page < facebook.com/mcb.gov.ph> and website <https://mcb.gov.ph> for those who wish to know the status of their claims by sending us an email where replies, upon verification of their identities, are made promptly.
Our office is also open Monday to Friday, except holidays, for walk-in inquiries on the status of their claims where we have Officers of the Day on duty. The MCB has official hotline and official government websites. Not only that, we have an Application/Intake Center and Main Office in Marawi City. We also have an Information Desk that promptly answers inquiries of claimants on a daily basis.
(To be continued)