Cotabato City mayor to file petition against ‘manipulated’ BOL plebiscite result

Cotabato City mayor Cynthia Guiani-Sayadi vowed to file a protest against the results of the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) plebiscite, which showed an overwhelming number of voters of the city favoring the new law. 

Interviewed on GMA's "News To Go," Sayadi claimed there were manipulation of the votes and that she would raise this before the Commission on Elections.

“There's nothing for them to rejoice because we’re going to file a petition pa before the Comelec,’ Sayadi said.

The mayor accused the members of Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) of harassing teachers and voters in polling areas during the plebiscite.

“Papaano makakapasok ang botante sa loob ng presinto kung hina-harass,” she said.

Sayad said her camp have videos to prove it and they are ready to submit them in the proper forum.

“Anong ginagawa ng mga outsiders na hindi taga-Cotabato City sa loob ng polling place? And they flocked not just in hundreds but in thousands,’ she added.

Also, Sayadi said flying voters were used to earn more "yes" votes for BOL.

“Doon sa book of voters malalaman ninyo na yung mga bumoto dun, they were flying voters and we can prove that,” Sayad claimed.

Cotabato City will be included in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) after the BOL received 36,682 ‘yes’ votes and 24,994 ‘no’ votes in the city. 

“Yang figure na yan hindi siya reflective sa tunay na will ng mga mamamayan ng Cotabato City,” Sayadi said. —Joviland Rita/ LDF, GMA News