Palace twits Sison: People to ratify BOL due to promise of growth
Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo. INQUIRER FILE
MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang on Tuesday dismissed accusations of “vote buying” and using President Duterte’s “coercive influence” for the ratification of the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL).
In a statement, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said voters would ratify the BOL as it was perceived to bring growth in Mindanao, denying allegations of irregularities issued by communist leader Jose Maria Sison.
“The voters will ratify the BOL, as we hope and expect, not because of vote buying and presidential coercive influence, as falsely claimed by Sison, but due to the electorate’s belief that its ratification will yield the long desired growth and development that remain elusive in Mindanao,” Panelo said.
On Monday, during the first day of BOL plebiscite, Sison conceded that the proposed statute will still be ratified due to Duterte’s alleged coercive influence and the government use of “vote buying at 200 pesos per vote and 1,000 pesos for each vote-buying agent.”
Sison also said “payments in the millions to Comelec (Comission on Elections) officials and to certain governors, congressmen, and mayors” were given by the administration to ensure the “yes” vote for BOL.
READ: Sison predicts ‘Yes’ vote to win in Bangsamoro plebiscite
Panelo said Sison’s claims were “nonsense,” adding that the communist leader is engaging in a “delusional analysis on a political event that further exposes his blissful ignorance.”
Earlier, Sison claimed that BOL ratification would lead to a bigger armed conflict in the country.
READ: Duterte push for BOL to widen conflict in Mindanao – Sison
The BOL is the charter of the proposed Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, which would replace the poverty-stricken Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).
The plebiscite in ARMM provinces and cities and those in the cities of Cotabato and Isabela in Basilan took place on Monday.
Meanwhile, voters in Lanao del Norte, except Iligan City, and six towns in North Cotabato that petitioned for inclusion in the Bangsamoro would go to the polling places on Feb. 6. /cbb
