(Eagle News) –Two provinces in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao posted the highest voter turnout on Day 1 of the Bangsamoro Organic Law plebiscite, data released by the Commission on Elections showed.
According to Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez, who revealed the information in a Tweet, Maguindanao had the highest voter turnout—of the 652,244 registered voters in the province, 608,846 voted, for a voter turnout of 93.35 percent.
Lanao del Sur was in second place, with 513,155 of the 554,417 registered voters voting, for a voter turnout of 92.56 percent.
In Basilan, 156,468 of the 190,861 registered voters voted (81.98 percent); in Sulu, 301,157 of the 375,137 (80.28 percent) and in Tawi-Tawi 161,823 of the 209,710 (77.17 percent).
Isabela City churned out a 58.7 percent voter turnout, with 41,748 of the 71,124 registered voters casting their votes; while Cotabato had a 54.22 percent voter turnout, with 61,676 voting of the 113,751 registered voters.
Overall, 1,844,873 of the 2,167,244 registered voters in the areas covered by Day 1 of the BOL plebiscite cast their votes, for an 85.13 percent overall voter turnout.
This was ten percent more than Comelec’s projection.
Based on initial results, majority of voters in the areas covered by Day 1 of the plebiscite except for Sulu voted for the ratification of the BOL, which seeks to replace the ARMM with a more autonomous Bangsamoro.
President Rodrigo Duterte had vouched for the ratification of the BOL, saying it was the only solution to the problems in Mindanao.
