Zubiri: Overwhelming ‘yes’ vote for BOL shows Mindanao shedding its history of conflict

MANILA, Philippines — With the “overwhelming” affirmative votes for the ratification of the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL), the country is finally seeing Mindanao “shed its history of conflict and enter an age of peace and progress,” Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri said Tuesday.

In a privilege speech during the Senate session on Tuesday, Zubiri lauded the turnout of the BOL plebiscite held Monday.

READ: BOL vote: War-weary Moros decide future

“[Ang] Bangsamoro Organic Law, ay sinagot po ng malakas at umaapaw na “YES” vote ng ating mga kapatid na Muslim at Kristiyano sa Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (The Bangsamoro Organic Law was met with  overwhelming ‘yes’ votes from our Muslim and Christian brothers in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao),” Zubiri said in his privilege speech.

“With the overwhelming affirmative votes for the ratification of the BOL, we are finally seeing Mindanao shed its history of conflict and enter an age of peace and progress,” he added.

Zubiri said the latest and unofficial count of the Bangsamoro Free Election Movement (BFEM), a Commission on Elections-accredited citizen’s arm in the plebiscite, showed that 657,113 individuals in the ARMM voted for the approval of the BOL compared to the 49,304 who voted against it.

“The ‘yes’ votes is 93 percent of the total votes cast, while the ‘no’ (vote)  is a measly 7 percent,” Zubiri said.

The senator noted that the voter turn-out was estimated at 70 percent, which is the highest voter turn-out for the organic law in the region compared to the 1989, 2001 plebiscites.

He also said that in the latest tally of the BFEM in Cotabato City,  34,858 voted in favor of the approval of BOL while 21,757 voted against it.

Zubiri said the BOL “will put an end to the cycle of war and destruction that Muslim Mindanao has suffered for more than a hundred years.”

“We want the whole of Mindanao, both Muslim and non-Muslim areas, to be in step with the rest of the Philippines and attain prosperity and liberties to the extent that they can implement their aspirations with the help of the National Government and within the bounds of our Constitution,” he added. /ee

READ: PNP: BOL plebiscite generally peaceful; same security setup eyed on Feb. 6