Polls close for Jan. 21 Bangsamoro plebiscite; Comelec says results to be known within 4 days

Some of the voters who turned out for the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) plebiscite in Isabela City in Basilan on Monday, January 21, 2019. (Photo by Ely Dumaboc, Eagle News Service)

 

(Eagle News) – Polls closed as scheduled at 3 p.m. on Monday, January 21, on the historic Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) plebiscite in three main areas —  the present geographical area of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), Isabela City in the province of Basilan, and Cotabato City.

The results of the historic plebiscite will be known within four days, according to the Commission on Elections (COMELEC).

The historic BOL plebiscite also saw the head of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) voting for the first time, to formally end the almost 51-year armed struggle.

-MILF’s Murad votes for the first time-

Al Haj Murad Ebrahim, chair of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), voted for BOLat the  Simuay Junction Central Elementary School, which is located near the MILF’s Camp Darapanan.  Murad spent his elementary years at the said school.

Murad said he was concerned about the possibility that not all would be able to vote.

“We have our own people there watching but these are not intended to create trouble in the area.  They are there only to watch the process,” he told reporters later.

Murad said the MILF will respect the results of the plebiscite.

-People in queue allowed to finish voting –

Commission on Elections (Comelec) spokesperson James Jimenez said that as of 4 p.m., polls are officially closed but that those people who have queued and are within the vicinity of the polling precincts would be allowed to finish voting in the plebiscite.

“Those which have a lot of people still in queue, voting there are still ongoing,” Jimenez said.

Police Deputy Director General Archie Gamboa said that so far, there was no declaration of failure of elections.

“All has been in place as planned,” he said.

–Withdrawal of teachers-

The only problem encountered was the withdrawal of some teachers in the plebiscite committee, particularly in Cotabato,” said Gamboa who heads the PNP Security Task Force for the plebiscite.

But this was immediately addressed, he said, when police personnel temporarily fulfilled the jobs of the teachers.




Gamboa said he expects the Comelec to investigate the cause of this withdrawal of teachers in several Cotabato precincts.

Comelec said that the results of the BOL plebiscite would be known within four days.

Comelec spokesperson Jimenez said that all precincts opened for the BOL plebiscite.

“We are confident that all those who should have voted were able to vote,” he said.

The board of canvassers will be convened at 6 p.m. at the provincial level, before it goes to the regional level.

Jimenez said that once this was completed, the results will be flown to Manila for the  national canvassing.

“We expect to be able to make that announcement within four days from today.  We will complete the entire canvass within four days,” the Comelec spokesperson said.

Muslim women look for their names at a voting precinct in Maguindanao, on the southern island of Mindanao on January 21, 2019, the plebiscite to ratify the passage of the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL). – A decades-long push to halt the violence that has claimed some 150,000 lives in the southern Philippines culminates with a vote on giving the nation’s Muslim minority greater control over the region. (Photo by Noel CELIS / AFP)

-Feb. 6 next scheduled BOL plebiscite-

The next scheduled plebiscite is on February 6 which will be held in the following areas: the province of Lanao del Norte except for Iligan City; the municipalities of Aleosan, Carmen, Kabacan, Midsayap, Pikit and Pigkawayan in the province of North Cotabato.

Roughly 2.8 million voters should have participated in the January 21 plebiscite, but the Comelec is yet to determine the actual voter turn-out for that day.