(Eagle News) – The provinces under the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, except for Sulu, overwhelmingly voted “yes” to the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL), based on the partial unofficial count of votes at the BOL Plebiscite Monitoring Center.
As of 4 p.m., January 23, the Western Mindanao Command of the Armed Forces of the Philippines released the counting of votes from the BOL Plebiscite Monitoring Center which said that 100 percent of the plebiscite returns in Maguindanao, Sulu, Lanao del Sur, Tawi-Tawi, and Basilan (except for Isabela City) had been already canvassed.
The counting of the returns from Cotabato City had also been completed.
The Public Information Office of the AFP Western Mindanao Command said in its 9 a.m. update on Wednesday, January 23, that “one hundred percent of the plebiscite returns in Maguindanao, Sulu, Basilan (except Isabela City), Lanao del Sur, Tawi-Tawi, and Cotabato City were already canvassed at provincial level.”
In Isabela City, Basilan, where canvassing of votes has yet to be completed, there were more ”No” votes at 22,441 as opposed to the “Yes” votes or those in favor of the BOL and for the city’s inclusion in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao at 19,032 as of 4 p.m. of Wednesday, January 23.
“As of 4pm of January 23, the BOL Plebiscite canvassing was finally concluded in the Provinces of Maguindanao, Sulu, Basilan, Lanao del Sur, Tawi-Tawi and in the Cities of Cotabato and Isabela,” the AFP WesMinCom Public Information Office update said Wednesday afternoon.
It listed the “final Comelec count” in the following areas:
1. Province of Maguindanao
Yes- 589,520
No- 2,463
2. Province of Sulu
Yes- 137,541
No- 163,351
3. Province of Basilan
Yes- 146,898
No- 6,486
4. Province of Lanao del Sur
Yes- 503,423
No- 9,732
5. Province of Tawi-Tawi
Yes- 151,788
No- 10,307
6. Cotabato City
Yes- 36,682
No- 24,994
7. Isabela City:
Yes-19,032
No- 22,441
“The peaceful and orderly conduct of the BOL plebiscite is ascribed to the shared commitment and active involvement of the security sector and other law enforcement agencies, which worked hand in hand with the Commission on Elections to ensure the success of the said plebiscite. We are also elated by the support that we received from the people in the ARMM and in the two cities that were included in the plebiscite. Indeed, this is a collective effort,” said Lieutenant General Arnel Dela Vega, the commander of the Western Mindanao Command.
“By this time, we can now prepare for the new leg set on February 6, and we will assure you that the same efforts from your AFP will be exerted to ensure a peaceful and orderly conduct of the BOL plebiscite next month,” he added.
-Decrease in listed “No” votes in Maguindanao-
However, the listed “No” votes in Maguindanao, in the latest count from the BOL plebiscite monitoring center, as reported by the AFP WesMinCom, was noticeably lower than what was released as of 1:30 p.m. of Tuesday, Jan. 22.
The number of “No” votes in Maguindanao was listed at 15,990, while the Yes votes numbered 433,273 as of 1:30 p.m. of January 22, according to the BOL plebiscite monitoring center as released by the AFP Western Mindanao Command in its update.
http://www.westmincom.com/updates-on-bol-plebiscite-as-of-130pm-of-january-22-2019/
As of 3 p.m., Tuesday, January 22, the AFP WesMinCom released data that showed significantly lower “No” votes in Maguindanao at 6,400, citing as source the BOL plebiscite monitoring center, as shown below:
1. Province of Maguindanao:
Yes- 558,489
No- 6,400
http://www.westmincom.com/updates-on-bol-plebiscite-as-of-3pm-of-january-22-2019/
The following day, on Wednesday, January 23, the AFP WesMinCom released the results from the BOL plebiscite monitoring center which even had lower “No’ votes as of 9 a.m., at 2,463.
http://www.westmincom.com/updates-on-bol-plebiscite-as-of-9am-of-january-23-2019/
The AFP WesMinCom update said: “Shown below is the partial and unofficial count of votes in the following areas, as of 9am of January 23: (Source: BOL Plebiscite Monitoring Center)
1. Province of Maguindanao
Yes- 589,520
No- 2,463”
It was not explained why there were lower “No” votes in Maguindanao as the canvassing had progressed at the provincial level.
Results of the provincial canvassing of votes have yet to be transmitted to the Comelec main office in Manila.
In a statement, Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez said the rescheduling of the canvassing from 1 p.m., Wednesday (Jan. 23) to Thursday, Jan. 24, at 2 p.m. was because the National Plebiscite Board of Canvassers has “not yet received any COCs (Certificates of Canvass).”
“Please be informed that the National Plebiscite Board of Canvassers have not yet received any COCs (Certificates of Canvass) and thus will convene tomorrow (January 24) at 2 p.m. instead of 1 p.m. today (January 23),” the statement from Jimenez said.
The canvassing was originally scheduled on Tuesday, Jan. 22, but this was also moved to Wednesday for the same reason.
The BOL Plebiscite Monitoring Center is composed of contingent from the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine National Police and the Comelec.