“Yes” votes win in Cotabato City, says COMELEC board, as city mayor vows to question poll results

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A woman shows her inked thumb at a voting precinct in Cotabato on the southern Philippine island of Mindanao on January 21, 2019, during a vote on giving the nation’s Muslim minority greater control over the region. – A decades-long push to halt the violence that has claimed some 150,000 lives in the southern Philippines culminated on January 21 with a vote on giving the nation’s Muslim minority greater control over the region. (Photo by Noel CELIS / AFP)

 

(Eagle News) – The Commission on Elections has declared that the “Yes” votes won in Cotabato City after latest results of the votes showed that 36,682 voted to have the city placed under the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

Only 24,994 voted against the BARMM, or against the Bangsamoro Organic Law.

The “Yes” votes during the January 21 plebiscite won in the city even though its mayor, Frances Cynthia Guiani-Sayadi. was very vocal against it, and vowed to file a petition questioning the “yes” win before the Comelec.

Administratively, Cotabato City was not under the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

It is an independent component city, not subject to regulation from the Provincial Government of Maguindanao where it is geographically located.

Muslim women cast their ballot at a voting precinct in Cotabato on the southern Philippine island of Mindanao on January 21, 2019, during a vote on giving the nation’s Muslim minority greater control over the region. – A decades-long push to halt the violence that has claimed some 150,000 lives in the southern Philippines culminated on January 21 with a vote on giving the nation’s Muslim minority greater control over the region. (Photo by Noel CELIS / AFP)

Cotabato City mayor Sayadi said she will question the alleged victory of the “Yes” votes, citing alleged anomalies and intimidation to teachers and other vocally against the BOL.

She claimed that there were incidents of cheating and that she would file a petition regarding this before the Commission on Elections.

Cotabato City has 113,751 voters in 37 barangays or villages.

Comelec announced the official tally at 8:44 p.m, after 24 hours of vote counting.

The Cotabato City Plebiscite Board of Canvassers (CPBOC) said that the certificates of canvass and summary of votes will be immediately submitted o the Comelec central office in Intramuros, Manila.

“Official result will be announced by the National Board of Canvassers and we will await for the formal declaration,” Romel Rama election officer said.

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