Palace declares non-working holiday in areas covered by Day 2 of BOL plebiscite

Malacañang has declared a special non-working holiday in other areas in Mindanao covered by the plebiscite for the ratification of the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL).

Set for February 6, the plebiscite will take place in Lanao del Norte except Iligan City, as well as the municipalities of Aleosan, Carmen, Kabacan, Midsayap, Pikit and Pigkayawan in North Cotabato.

Proclamation 656, which was signed by Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea on Monday, said it is “fitting” and “proper” to declare the plebiscite a non-working day to give voters the opportunity to participate in the poll.

The plebiscite for the ratification of the BOL, which aims to install a Bangsamoro political entity that has greater fiscal and political autonomy than the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), began on Monday.

Those who took part in the poll on January 21, which the Palace had also declared a non-working holiday, included residents in the ARMM, Cotabato City, and Isabela City in Basilan.

The ratification of the BOL appeared to be winning by a landslide in those areas, according to initial figures from the Commission on Elections. — MDM, GMA News