Comelec gears up for Bangsamoro plebiscite

MANILA, Philippines — In preparation for the holding of a plebiscite on the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL), the Commission on Elections (Comelec) is intensifying efforts to encourage more Mindanao residents to register.

“We are doubling our efforts and will intensify the ongoing registration activities which means that we will make it mandatory for various field offices in the area to conduct satellite registration,” Comelec spokesman James Jimenez disclosed.

Under the law, Jimenez said, the Comelec is mandated to hold a special registration for the plebiscite.

But since there is an overlap in the schedule, the Comelec will just intensify the existing registration activities, Jimenez said. 

Jimenez said the Comelec will be sending out teams to ensure that registration activities are carried out.

In Marawi, Jimenez said, the Comelec will mount registration activities after the holding of the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections in September.

“There is no registration in Marawi at this time, but after the elections there, we will extend the regular registration for about 10 to 15 days,” Jimenez noted.

“This is to accommodate people in that area who want to register and perhaps participate in the plebiscite,” Jimenez added.

The ongoing regular registration is supposed to end on Sept. 29.

Jimenez said large number of people from Mindanao are expected to participate in the plebiscite that the Comelec intends to schedule soon.

Last month, President Duterte signed the new Bangsamoro Act, but a plebiscite is needed to implement the law for the creation of the new region replacing the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

The law provides that a plebiscite shall be conducted not earlier than 90 days and not later than 150 days after effectivity of the organic law.  

Jimenez said the plebiscite will be held not only in areas covered by the BOL, but also in “mother units” of political subdivisions.

“The BOL identified several areas to be included in the region, but the plebiscite area is broader than that because you are not just asking the people in the area na gustong bumukod (that want to separate), but you also have to ask the people in the mother unit na mawawalan ng (that will lose) constituency that is why malaki ang (there’s big) voting population sa pleb na darating (in the coming plebiscite),” Jimenez explained.