Marawi City Hall employees line up the ballot boxes to be used in the plebiscite for the Bangsamoro Organic Law on January 21. (PNA photo by Nef Luczon) |
MARAWI CITY – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) in Lanao del
Sur is confident the plebiscite on the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) throughout
the province will be peaceful but the low-pressure area affecting Mindanao
might affect voter turnout.
Lawyer Allan Kadon, Comelec's provincial head, said Sunday there is no
expected violence during Monday's plebiscite because of the non-existence of
active opposition to the BOL. He added that the counting of votes would be
easier and is expected to be completed by Tuesday.
The only problem seen by Comelec regarding the election is the possible
low turnout of voters, given the bad weather, which is mostly foggy and rainy
since last week.
“Fortunate ang Lanao del Sur kasi isang issue na
lang ang sasagutin: Whether to ratify Bangsamoro Organic Law, unlike sa
ibang provinces na maraming opposition (Lanao del Sur is
fortunate because there is only one issue to be addressed: whether to ratify
BOL or not, unlike other provinces where there is a lot of opposition),” Kadon
said.
The voting will be conducted manually. Ballots contain the choices
"yes" and "no" for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in
Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
After the election from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., the results will be sent to
the Plebiscite Board of Canvassers, and then to the Comelec provincial offices.
Kadon said there may be plebiscite results available by Tuesday.
Lanao del Sur will have 1,984 clustered precincts and a total number of
554,552 voters.
The number of registered voters for the plebiscite was 200,000 less
than the number of voters, who are registered for the national elections.
There will also be voting precincts in schools nearest to the temporary
shelters that house internally displaced persons (IDPs).
Express lanes for persons with disabilities (PWDs), senior citizens,
and pregnant women have also been set.
Kadon also said that teachers serving during the elections have
undergone training and information drives have also been conducted by election
officers since December, popularly called 'pulong-pulong’.
A coordination conference was also conducted last Tuesday for the
conduct of the plebiscite.
Jamalodin Basman Mohammad, barangay kagawad of Marawi City’s Barangay
Panggao Saduc, said that about 800 residents in their barangay are registered
voters for the plebiscite. He called on his constituents to go out and vote.
Given the weather conditions, he said it is possible that only half of
the number would come out and vote and that the residents have already
predicted a majority "yes" vote for BARMM, even if they do not come
out to vote.
“Alam din ng mga boboto na ‘yes’ and lalabas dyan. So sasabihin nila
‘Bakit kailangan pa naming lumahok dyan, eh ‘yes’ pa rin naman ang mananalo? (The
voters already know that majority will vote "yes', so what's the point of
going?)” Mohammad said.
“Elections is a right to exercise their right to vote. Importante
siya kay dugay na ni (BARMM) gipangayo sa Bangsamoro people. Dugay na ni
(BARMM) siya gihulat (It is important because the people have long wanted
to have the BARMM),” he added. (PNA/By Riz Sunio and Nef Luczon)
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