Some 26 ballot boxes still unclaimed in Cotabato City

Some 26 ballot boxes were still unclaimed at the Cotabato City's Treasury Office past 7 a.m. on Monday, January 21, the start of the plebiscite for the ratification of the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL).

According to a report on GMA News' Unang Balita on Monday by Ian Cruz, a total of 78 teachers did not show up to get them. Ballot boxes should be at clustered precincts before 7 a.m.

Nasa 26 na ballot boxes pa ang nananatiling unclaimed sa Cotabato City Treasury Office. Alas 7 ng umaga sana ang simula ng plebesito para sa BOL @gmanews pic.twitter.com/e9zyGlhUuF

— Ian Cruz (@_iancruz) January 20, 2019

Local officials said the teachers allegedly received threats via text messages.

Assistant City Treasurer Teddy Inta said officials of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) discussed if policemen would be deployed to serve as members of the plebiscite committee.

According to a later report by Ian Cruz on GMA News TV's Balitanghali on Monday, 66 police officers took over the poll duties in 22 clustered precincts of the teachers who backed out.

Some voters at the Canizares National High School had to wait for four hours in order to vote.

At least 2.8 million voters are expected to cast their votes in the plebiscite based on Comelec records.

The BOL replaces the  Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) with a Bangsamoro Autonomous Region governed by the Bangsamoro Parliament elected by the Bangsamoro Region’s inhabitants. —Anna Felicia Bajo/KG, GMA News