MANILA – The Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) was “deemed ratified” by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) en banc – which acts as the National Plebiscite Board of Canvassers – on Friday night.
Comelec Chairman Sheriff Abas moved for the adoption of the resolution of the proclamation after canvassing the votes from the areas that took part in the first BOL plebiscite last Monday.
Among the provinces included in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) were Cotabato City and provinces under the ARMM, namely Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, Lanao del Sur and Maguindanao, while Isabela City and Basilan were not.
Basilan province voted for the ratification of the BOL but will not be included in the BARMM since it remains the mother unit of Isabela City, which voted against the BOL ratification.
Even with the ratification of the Republic Act 11054 or BOL, the second plebiscite slated on Feb. 6 will still continue to determine the other provinces which will be included in the BARMM.
The Feb. 6 plebiscite will cover the six municipalities of Lanao del Norte namely Baloi, Munai, Nunungan, Pantar, Tagaloan and Tangkall and 39 barangays of North Cotabato namely Aleosan, Carmen, Cabacan, Midsayap, Pigkawayan, and Pikit.
Municipalities and barangays in the second plebiscite will only get to join the BARMM if the ‘yes’ vote will win in their respective municipality or barangay, and if their corresponding mother province, in this case Lanao del Norte and North Cotabato, will approve of it via a majority vote.
The BOL will replace the ARMM with a BARMM with an expanded land and water jurisdiction, fiscal autonomy, increased share in national government resources, among others.
This is seen as the final step in the peace agreement between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, which has been leading a separatist insurgency since the 1970s./PN
