Comelecand BOL plebiscite generally peaceful

COTABATO CITY –
The plebiscite on the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) in the Autonomous Region in
Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) has been generally peaceful but low turnout of voters was
noticed, poll officials said.

Peaceful, our
plebiscite across ARMM is generally peaceful, said Lawyer Ray Sumalipao, Comelec
regional director for the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, during a news conference aired over NDBC's Desisyon 2019.

ARMM is
composed of the provinces of Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, Basilan, Sulu and
Tawi-Tawi and the cities of Marawi and Lamitan.

Lawyer
Benedicto Bacani, head of Institute for Autonomy and Governance (IAG), said the
low turnout of voters in ARMM was expected since there’s no personality
involved.

Walang
pulitiko involve kaya mababa turnout (No politicians thus low turnout), Bacani
said.

Voters in ARMM
are asked if they want the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) ratified while those in
Cotabato City will be asked if they want to be part of BARMM.

But while no
major untoward incident had transpired since the voting started at 7 a.m. in
Cotabato City, grenade attacks preceded today’s political exercise.

Two men riding
on motorbike tossed hand grenades inside the residential compound of Judge
Angelito Rasalan in Sta. Maria Street, Barangay Rosary Heights 10 at about 9:15
p.m. Sunday. Rasalan is the judge of Municipal
Circuit Trial Court in Upi, Maguindanao.

The grenade attack on Rasalan's home preceded the gun attack on the house of Atty. Omar Sema located nearby along Sta Maria Street.Sema, son of former Cotabato City Mayor Muslimin Sema, is a member of the Bangsamoro Transition Commission that drafted the BOL.Reports said gunmen on board a motorbike parked near the house of Sema opened fire at about 9 p.m.At 7 a.m.
Monday, a hand grenade was found beside a road leading to Rojas National High
School, one of the voting centers. Bomb
experts detonated the grenade and nobody was hurt.

Authorities believed
it was meant to scare voters.

Disenfranchisement
of voters was among the major issues that confronted the electorate in Cotabato
City since hundreds of voters claimed their names were gone in the list of
voters.

Some flying
voters were also noted, some were arrested by local officials.

Mayor Cynthia
Guiani-Sayadi, an advocate against inclusion of the city to BARMM, said the
presence of unarmed Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in practically all
voting centers has scared many voters.

The MILF has
been working for Yes vote on BOL.

Rep. Bai
Sandra Sema of Cotabato City and Maguindanao first district decried the delays
in the opening of a precinct of voters from Barangay Rosary Heights 7.

It’s already
10 a.m. yet the voting precinct is still close, Sema said. Later the voting precinct was opened and voting
commence with police officers acting as poll officials.

The teachers
tasked to administer the plebiscite decided not to serve after they received
threats through text messages.

As of 9 a.m.
about 20 ballot boxes remained unclaimed at the Cotabato City treasurer’s
office. The teachers assigned to these
ballot boxes did not show up.

Mayor Sayadi
said these teachers were threatened and told not to serve.

But Rep. Sema
said the police have no appointment from the Comelec and that they have not
undergone poll duties training.

In Maguindanao,
provincial Gov. Esmael Toto Mangudadatu led local officials and his family in
casting their votes at Buluan Central Elementary School at about 8 a.m.

Moro Islamic
Liberation Front (MILF) chief Al Haj Murad Ebrahim also cast his vote at Simuay
Junction Elementary School in Barangay Crossing Simuay, Sultan Kudarat,
Maguindanao.

Other MILF
leaders also voted in the same school.

Lawyer James
Jimenez, speaking for the Comelec, said results of the plebiscite may be known
in two to three days.

Military
helicopters have been hovering above the Cotabato City and its environs since 7
a.m. until 1 p.m. (EOF)