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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider Comelec ready for Maguindanao plebiscite on Sept. 17

Comelec ready for Maguindanao plebiscite on Sept. 17

Published Sep 12, 2022 02:40 pm

COTABATO CITY (PNA) – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is ready for the plebiscite on Saturday, Sept. 17, that will ratify or reject a law dividing Maguindanao into two provinces.

Lawyer Udtog Tago, Maguindanao election supervisor, said Monday, Sept. 12, that it's "all systems go" as election materials and official ballots “are already in town.”

“We are ready, poll officials and deputies are all ready for Saturday,” Tago said, adding that all election supplies and documents for the plebiscite are kept at the provincial capitol in Buluan, Maguindanao.

Tago’s pronouncement came amid calls by a non-government organization to delay the plebiscite for at least two months.

“That is for Congress to decide, as far as we are concerned, we are all set for the referendum,” Tago said when asked to comment on the appeal made by the Interfaith for Peace and Clean Election (IM4PEACE) to move the political exercises until November.

IM4PEACE coordinator Goldy Omelio said their group, as an election watchdog, made the call to further update the people on the referendum.

“This is to allow a massive information drive to educate the people why a plebiscite is necessary, what are the pros and cons,” she said.

Omelio said a consultation spearheaded by her group showed that the majority of the residents were unaware of the Sept. 17 balloting.

No group has so far campaigned for a “no” vote while elected local officials are busy campaigning for the “yes” vote.

A total of 939,011 registered voters for Maguindanao are expected to come out and vote for the plebiscite.

Comelec Chairperson George Erwin M. Garcia said in a recent security meeting here said that the poll body is expecting at least 80 percent turnout of voters on balloting day.

The plebiscite will determine whether the people of Maguindanao will accept Republic Act No. 11550, a law that will split the province’s 36 towns to create Maguindanao del Norte and Maguindanao del Sur.

If ratified, Maguindanao del Norte will have Datu Odin Sinsuat as its capital and Maguindanao del Sur will retain Buluan for its provincial seat.

Maguindanao del Norte will be composed of the towns that currently belong to Maguindanao's first congressional district while Maguindanao del Sur will comprise towns in the second district.

Once approved, Gov. Mariam Mangudadatu would serve as the provincial chief executive of Maguindanao del Sur while Vice Gov. Ainee Sinsuat would automatically become governor of Maguindanao del Norte.

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