Comelec defers proclamation of additional areas for Bangsamoro region anew

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) en banc, sitting as the National Plebiscite Board of Canvassers, deferred the proclamation of the additional areas to the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region on Tuesday pending verification of the results of the plebiscite in four Cotabato municipalities.

Comelec chairman Sheriff Abas identified the three municipalities as Cabacan, Midsayap, Pigkawayan and Pikit whose barangays participated in the plebiscite.

“Considering the reports of our working group, it is clear that we can’t finish the tabulation and audit of the votes today. I will declare [the session in] recess and we will reconvene tomorrow (February 13) at 2 pm,” Abas said, referring to the Tabulation and Audit groups.

Prior to the recess, the Comelec en banc was able to correct the number of ‘no’ votes in one precinct in Barangay Matilac in Pigkawayan, North Cotabato to 783, not 483 as stated in the Summary of Votes.

The ‘yes’ vote, however, still prevailed in Barangay Matilac, garnering over 10,000 votes.

The second round of the plebiscite for additional areas for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region held last February 6 covered barangays in the municipalities of Aleosan, Carmen, Cabacan, Midsayap, Pigkawayan, and Pikit, North Cotabato as well as six municipalities of Lanao del Norte namely Baloi, Munai, Nunungan, Pantar, Tagaloan and Tangkal.

The inclusion of these areas in the new region would only materialize if the area concerned and their respective mother unit will approve of their inclusion, meaning a municipality in Lanao del Norte will join the new region if majority of those in the concerned municipality and the province of Lanao del Norte will approve of their inclusion.

The barangays in North Cotabato, on the other hand, can only join the new entity if majority of those in the concerned barangay and those in the municipality where this barangay belongs to would vote yes.

The February 6 plebiscite for additional areas pushed thru since the ‘yes’ vote for the ratification of the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) won during the first round of the plebiscite last January 21 with over 1.5 million votes as against around 198,000 no votes.

The BOL abolishes Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao and replaces it with the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region which would be granted with an expanded land and water jurisdiction, fiscal autonomy, increased share in national government resources, among others. — RSJ, GMA News