MANILA — Marawi City will not be included in the special satellite registration activities set on Sept. 11 to 13 for next year’s plebiscite to create the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said Thursday.
“Marawi is not included in the special satellite registration because their focus there now is the conduct of the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections there,” Comelec-Election and Barangay Affairs Department (EBAD) Director Teopisto Elnas said in an interview.
Instead, the war-torn city will have its own special satellite registration after the holding of the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (BSKE) on September 22.
“We have a recommendation that there will be a separate registration for Marawi after their elections,” the poll body official added.
Earlier, Comelec spokesman James Jimenez said they will be holding special satellite registrations for the plebiscite in the Bangsamoro core territories set on January 21, 2019.
“This is not a registration exclusively for the Bangsamoro plebiscite. It is to become a registered voter. So if you are already a registered voter, it won’t be necessary to register anymore,” he added.
The poll body will deploy a total of nine teams in seven provinces and two cities for the holding of the three-day activity.
The special satellite registration activities will be held at the Capitol Gym in Butig for Lanao del Sur; Panggao Elementary School in Panggao for Lanao del Norte; Camp Darapanan in Sultan Kudarat for Maguindanao; and Pikit Municipal Gym in Pikit and Midsayap Municipal Gym in Midsayap for North Cotabato.
Other areas identified as hosts of such activities include Datu Disal Cultural Center in Lamitan City for Basilan; Barangay Pasil and Panlila Mama Tagbak in Indanan and Capitol Gym in Jolo for Sulu; and Barangay Sangga-Sangga in Bongao for Tawi-Tawi.
Likewise, special satellite registration activities will be happening at the ORG Compound in Cotabato City for Cotabato City; and Isabela City Hall for Isabela City.
“We just want to get as many people registered as possible so we will have this special registration activities,” Jimenez added. (Ferdinand Patinio/PNA)
