By Ferdinand Patinio/PNA
MANILA — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has allotted eight hours for the voting period for the plebiscite to ratify Republic Act 11054 otherwise known as the Organic Law for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
“Voting shall start at 7 a.m. and shall end at 3 p.m. of plebiscite day…” Comelec Resolution No. 10464, which was promulgated on Dec. 13, 2018 read.
After closing time, the Comelec said voters who are within 30 meters in front of polling place would still be allowed to vote.
“The poll clerk shall, without delay, prepare a complete list containing the names of the said voters consecutively numbered, and the voters shall be called to vote by announcing each name repeatedly three times in order in which they are listed. Any voter in the list who is not present when his name is called shall not be permitted to vote at any later time,” the poll body said.
The manner of voting, it added, would be manual as the voter will write down his answer, “yes” or “no” to the question on the ballot.
“The voter shall accomplish the ballot by writing the answer to the question in the space provided. If the voter agrees with the question, the voter shall write the word ‘yes’ or ‘oo’ or its equivalent in any dialect, in the space provided, or if the voter disagrees with the question, the voter shall write the word ‘no’ or ‘hindi’ or its equivalent in the space provided,” the Comelec said.
The Comelec has also identified the areas in Mindanao, which will be holding the plebiscite on two separate dates.
The Comelec resolution said the first plebiscite will be on January 21 and will be held in three areas — the present geographical area of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), Isabela City in the province of Basilan, and Cotabato City.
It added that the second plebiscite set on February 6 will be held in the following areas: the province of Lanao del Norte except for Iligan City; the municipalities of Aleosan, Carmen, Kabacan, Midsayap, Pikit and Pigkawayan in the province of North Cotabato.
Also included in the February plebiscite, subject to the approval of Comelec, will be all areas contiguous to any of the Bangsamoro core areas where: (a) the local government of such area, by way of a resolution, asked for inclusion in the plebiscite; or (b) at least 10 percent of the registered voters in a local government unit, by way of a petition, asked for inclusion in the plebiscite.