COTABATO CITY (MindaNews / 14 April) – The creation of eight new towns from the 63 villages in North Cotabato under the Special Geographic Area (SGA) of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) was ratified during the plebiscite held Saturday, with 72,358 “yes” votes and (273) “no” votes, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said.
In a press statement, the Comelec said 72,658 or 81.10% of the total 89,594 registered voters cast their ballots from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Of 72,658 who voted, 72,358 voters voted “yes.” It said the electoral exercise was “successful, peaceful and orderly.”
Pursuant to Bangsamoro Autonomy Act Nos. 41 to 48, and following their ratification during the plebiscite on Saturday,
The eight new towns created under Bangsamoro Autonomy Acts 41 to 48 and ratified during the plebiscite on Saturday are Kadayangan (with 7 barangays); Kapalawan (with 7); Ligawasan (with 7); Malidegao (with 7); Nabalawag (with 7); Old Kaabakan (with 7); Pahamuddin (with 12); and Tugunan (with 9).
The 63 villages in six North Cotabato towns (Carmen, Kabacan, Midsayap, Pigcawayan, Pikit and Tulunan) voted for inclusion in the BARMM in the plebiscite to ratify the Bangsamoro Organic Law in 2019.
The Comelec gave a breakdown of how each town voted:
- Out of 9,517 registered voters in what is now Pahamuddin (from the municipality of Pigcawayan), 6,099 actually voted and out of this number, 5,974 voted “yes,” and 116 voted “no.” Voter turnout was 64.09%;
- Out of 8,938 voters in what is now Kadayangan (from the municipality of Midsayap), 6,379 actually voted and out of this number, 6,292 voted “yes” and 80 voted “no.” Voter turnout was 71.37%;
- Out of 10,354 registered voters in what is now Nabalawag (from the municipality of Midsayap), 7,456 actually voted and out of this number, 7,442 voted “yes” and 14 voted “no.” Voter turnout was 72.01%;
- Out of 7,614 registered voters in what is now Old Kaabakan (from the municipality of Kabacan), 6,615 actually voted and out of this number, 6,611 voted “yes” and 4 voted “no.” Voter turnout was 86.88%;
- Out of 12,913 registered voters in what is now Kapalawan (from the municipality of Carmen), 10,495 actually voted and out of this number, 10,495 voted “yes” and 2 voted “no.” Voter turnout was 81.34%;
- Out of 15,517 registered voters in what is now Malidegao (from the municipality of Pikit), 12,303 actually voted and out of this number, 12,255 voted “yes” and 44 voted “no.” Voter turnout was 79.28%;
- Out of 12,136 registered voters in what is now Tugunan (from the municipality of Tulunan), 11,514 actually voted and out of this number, 11,501 voted “yes” and 13 voted “no.” Voter turnout was 94.87%;
- Out of 12,598 registered voters in what is now Ligawasan (from the municipality of Pikit), 11,788 actually voted and out of this number, 11,788 voted “yes” and no one voted “no.” Voter turnout was 93.53%.
In a statement on Saturday, the Council for Climate and Conflict Action Asia (CCCA) said a “quiet and peaceful exercise in democracy” to ratify the creation of eight towns in SGA “stood in sharp contrast with the bloody and violent” barangay elections on October 30, 2023.
In its monitoring , the CCCA said voters were “excited as they queued as early as 6 a.m. to cast their votes in the plebiscite, an hour earlier than the official start of the voting.”
“Except for a lone case of clan feuding in one barangay in Aleosan that affected voter turn-out, and the noticeable refusal to vote of more than half of the voters in another barangay in Pigcawayan where a former top minister of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority resides, the overarching narrative was one of anticipation and excitement as both old and young voters celebrated the results,” the CCCA said.
The CCCA quoted Nasruddin Guiabar, a barangay youth leader in Midsayap, as saying they campaigned for participation and a “yes” vote to “finally acquire development support in our areas and to test our ability to draw support for our advocacies for the forthcoming 2025 elections.”
In a statement, Member of Parliament Amir Mawallil, chair of the Bangsamoro Peoples Party, hailed the “peaceful and orderly plebiscite” last Saturday, noting it “bodes well for the scheduled 2025 elections in the BARMM.”
“We in the BPP hope that the recent plebiscite in the SGA resulting in the creation of eight new towns will contribute greatly to the potential for peaceful and orderly elections in BARMM next year,” he said.
“As a vital precursor to next year’s elections, the plebiscite serves as a valuable opportunity to identify and address potential challenges, thereby enhancing the overall integrity and inclusivity of the electoral process,” Mawallil said.
“The BPP views the peaceful conduct of the plebiscite as a positive indication of the region’s readiness for the upcoming elections. It reflects the collective determination of BARMM constituents to actively participate in shaping the future of their communities through democratic means,” he added. (MindaNews)
