Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano on Tuesday renewed his call for fair and just compensation for the victims of the 2017 Marawi siege, as the Senate Committee on Finance reviewed the 2026 budget of the Marawi Compensation Board (MCB).
During its budget briefing in the Senate on September 23, the MCB disclosed that it originally requested P4.279 billion for 2026, but the President’s proposed budget only allocated P1.228 billion, just 28.71 percent of the amount sought.
This left a P3.05 billion shortfall, of which was intended for the Marawi Siege Victims Compensation Fund.
Cayetano said this funding gap highlights the need for a more creative and realistic compensation system that considers the actual cost of replacing or repairing destroyed properties.
“The point of compensation is to return them to their situation before the Marawi war,” Cayetano said.
During the briefing, the MCB reported that as of September 2025, it had already approved P3.28 billion worth of claims covering 1,915 beneficiaries, and committed to finish all compensation releases by 2028 if additional funds are allocated.
Cayetano warned that if the government compensates victims using outdated property values, it will only deepen the injustice felt by Marawi residents.
He also stressed that the Constitution requires just compensation when property is taken, and urged the government to pursue a “creative solution” that would allow for fairer valuations.
“I am confident that if we present a creative and well-thought-out compensation strategy, we can gain the support of our President and fellow members of Congress,” Cayetano said.
“This is about giving them a fair chance to restore what they lost and move forward,” he added.
