By Azer Parrocha/PNA
MANILA — Malacañang has declared Feb. 6, 2019 (Wednesday) a special non-working day in the province of Lanao del Norte except Iligan City and the municipalities of Aleosan, Carmen, Kabacan, Midsayap, Pikit, Pigkawayan, and Tulunan, all in the Province of North Cotbato for the plebiscite on the ratification of the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL).
Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, by authority of the President, signed Proclamation No. 656 on Jan. 21, 2019 but it was released to media on Jan. 23 (Wednesday).
Medialdea signed the proclamation to allow the residents an opportunity to participate in the plebiscite and exercise their right to vote.
On Jan. 18, President Rodrigo R. Duterte attended a big rally in Cotabato City to appeal to the people to vote for the ratification of the BOL.
The day of the first plebiscite on the BOL, which took place on Jan. 21, 2019, was also declared a special non-working day in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, Isabela City, and Cotabato City.
According to the Commission on Elections’ (Comelec) final tally, majority of Cotabato City’s voters voted “yes” to the inclusion of the city to the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao or BARMM.
Based on the canvassing of votes by the City Board of Canvassers that ended Tuesday night, the “yes” had 36,682 (59 percent) votes favoring the inclusion of the city to the new political entity while “no” recorded 24,994 (41 percent).
This was based on unofficial results of canvassing at the Shariff Kabunsuan Cultural Complex, the provisional seat of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao here.
On July 27, 2018, Duterte signed the BOL, or Republic Act 11054 seeking to grant wider self-rule to predominantly Muslim provinces and cities in southern Philippines.
