By Ferdinand Patinio/PNA
MANILA — Official ballots to be used in next year’s Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) plebiscite will be printed in Filipino and Arabic, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said.
“The decision was made that the language of the ballot would be in Filipino and Arabic for the existing ARMM (Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao) areas, and Filipino for everywhere else. So, we have no more English ballots,” Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez said in an interview Wednesday.
The poll body official noted they are now in the process of finalizing the translations in the ballots in coordination with the Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino.
“We have to go through the translations. These are just the small issues left. But we expect to have them finalized by next week,” Jimenez said.
Earlier, he reported that they are looking to start the printing of the more than 2 million ballots next month.
Based on the proposed BOL, the areas being eyed for inclusion are the provinces of Basilan, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi under the ARMM.
Also, the 39 barangays in North Cotabato, six municipalities in Lanao del Norte, and the cities of Cotabato in Maguindanao, and Isabela in Basilan.
