By Edwin Fernandez/PNA
COTABATO CITY — At least 50,000 Bangsamoro residents on Sunday joined a caravan that traveled across three provinces in Mindanao as part of the campaign for the ratification of the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL).
The day-long caravan, involving over a thousand vehicles, started in this city and motored to Maguindanao, Sultan Kudarat, and North Cotabato and the back to this city.
The participants aboard the vehicles chanted, “Yes to BOL!” “Mabuhay and (Long live) BOL!” “BOL is the only way to peace!” and “Mabuhay ang (Long live) Bangsamoro!”
On Tuesday, Maguindanao Gov. Esmael Mangudadatu will host the grand rally for the ratification of BOL in the town of Buluan, the province’s capital, which Defense Sec. Delfin Lorenzana is expected to attend as guest of honor.
“The projection is 90 percent of Maguindanao will go for “Yes” vote. I would like 98 percent go for it after the grand rally,” Mangudadatu said Monday.
Mangudadatu said he expects about 500,000 people to join Tuesday’s rally in Buluan, his hometown.
On January 21, voters in the provinces of Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, Basilan, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi as well as the cities of Isabela and Cotabato will join the plebiscite for the ratification of the BOL and whether they want to join the new political entity — Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
The BARMM, once ratified in a plebiscite, will replace the current Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.
