Several families flee Lanao Norte towns on eve of BOL plebiscite

TUBOD, Lanao del Norte — Police tell the public not to panic even as at least 60 families from several towns in Lanao del Norte province decided to flee on the eve of the plebiscite on the Bangsamoro Organic Law  (BOL) and take refuge in nearby Ozamiz City.

As of 5 p.m., the Ozamiz city government monitored at least 60 families (258 persons) who have arrived in the city, with the recent evacuees entering via motorized outriggers.

The evacuees who came from the towns of Sultan Naga Dimaporo, Lala, Kolambogan, Baroy, and Kapatagan left their homes because of the tension in the upcoming plebiscite for the BOL.

Sr. Supt. Leopoldo Cabanag, police director of Lanao del Norte, said the police had verified some families who left and who were temporarily staying with relatives in Ozamiz.

“They were afraid because of the wrong information. Local government units have been convincing them to come back and participate in the plebiscite,” Cabanag said. “We encouraged them (families) not to be afraid.”

People from Lanao del Norte, except Iligan city, are expected to troop to the polling centers on Wednesday, Feb. 6, to decide on the proposed inclusion of the six towns of Balo-i, Munai, Nunungan, Pantar, Tagoloan and Tangkal in the Bangsamoro.

Aside from the six Lanao del Norte towns, the plebiscite also covers the 67 villages in seven municipalities of North Cotabato, who had earlier voted for inclusion in the autonomous Muslim region in the 2001 plebiscite.

Tension

But tension between those campaigning for No and those for Yes prompted some villagers to flee.

A situation report from the Ozamiz city government showed that at least 60 families have trickled into Ozamiz since Feb. 2 because of the rising tension between BOL advocates and opponents.

Rico M. Guangco Jr., Ozamiz city disaster risk reduction and management officer, said the evacuees were mostly women and children. They left their communities for fear that hostilities might break out. They sought refuge among their relatives.

Most of them traveled by land and crossed the Panguil Bay through ferry boats.

Some of those interviewed said they saw armed men roaming around their place amid the frenzy of the campaign for the BOL, hence, their decision to leave, the Ozamiz situation report said.

Kolambugan Mayor Lorenzo V. Manigos also confirmed on Monday that some people in his town had fled to nearby Misamis Occidental.

The mayor said residents had been intimidated by the presence of MILF campaigning for the inclusion of the six Lanao del Norte towns in the Bangsamoro.

Divided

He said prominent politicians in the province seemed divided on the BOL, with First District Rep. Khalid Q. Dimaporo campaigning for No while Maigo town Mayor Rafael Rizalda was campaigning for Yes.

Some families from the towns of Tubod and Kauswagan sought refuge in their relatives in Iligan City.

But others had left because the bombing of the cathedral in Jolo was still fresh in their minds.

Margarito Beti, an administrative officer of Tubod town, confirmed on Monday that some residents fled to other parts of Mindanao for fear that chaos might break out during the plebiscite.

Beti, however, assured residents that what happened in the Jolo cathedral would not occur in Tubod, the capital town of Lanao del Norte.

Pastor Tom Banawa, a resident of Barangay Dableston in Sultan Naga Dimaporo, said their neighbors left their small children to their relatives outside Lanao del Norte but came back to vote.

“They left their small children outside the province so that if anything happens, they could still flee,” he said.

“Those who can vote have come back to vote,” said Banawa, whose teacher wife has 6-year old and three-month-old children.”We are staying because I don’t want to waste my vote for this plebiscite. This is very important to me,” he added.

Mayor Barry Baguio of Kapatagan confirmed four families from the town’s Barangay Poblacion fled to Ozamiz on February 4.

“They were afraid of the ‘fake news’ circulating,” Baguio said in a phone interview. “There was no reason for them to leave.” With reports from Tito Fiel, Inquirer Mindanao/lzb