Votes against Cotabato City’s inclusion in Bangsamoro leading slightly

COTABATO CITY—Votes against the inclusion of this city in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) are slightly leading, partial and official results from the Commission on Elections (Comelec) showed on Tuesday.

As of 1 p.m., the Cotabato City Plebiscite Board of Canvassers (CCPBC) said that 13,681 voted against and 13,484 in favor of the inclusion of the city in the BARMM, or a difference of 197 against the inclusion.

Of 374 precincts, 150 or 43 percent, have been canvassed, the CCPBC said.

Cotabato City, which twice rejected inclusion to the ARMM, has 113,751 registered voters.

The Comelec placed this city under its control due to the security situation in the area and the tense rivalry of those for or against the inclusion of the city in the future BARMM.

On New Year’s Eve, a powerful bomb exploded outside a mall here that killed two persons and wounded over 30 others.

Two grenade explosions also hit the city Sunday night just a few hours before the polling precincts opened on Monday./lzb