Comelec all set for Maguindanao split referendum this week

COTABATO CITY—The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Monday declared it was now all systems go for the plebiscite on Sept. 17 to ratify a law that will divide Maguindanao into two provinces.

Maguindanao Elections Supervisor Udtog Tago said all materials, including the official ballots, were already at the provincial capitol in Buluan town, for the voting that would take place on Saturday.

Tago’s pronouncement came amid calls from a nongovernmental organization to delay the plebiscite for at least two months.

The group Interfaith for Peace and Clean Election (IM4PEACE), an election watchdog, has appealed to the Comelec that the political exercises be moved to November this year to give enough time for people to know why the province needed to be divided.

“[To postpone it for another two months will] allow massive information drives to educate the people why a plebiscite is necessary, what are the pros and cons,” said IM4PEACE coordinator Goldy Omelio.

But Tago said postponing the plebiscite is a matter that only Congress can decide. “As far as we are concerned, we are all set for the referendum.”

Projected high turnout

Maguindanao has a total of 939,011 registered voters who are expected to come out and vote.

Comelec Chair George Erwin Garcia said in a recent security meeting here that the poll body was 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 into Maguindanao del Norte and Maguindanao del Sur.

Maguindanao has 36 towns.

Unaware

But Omelio said a consultation initiated by her group showed that majority of residents in Maguindanao did not know there would be a balloting on Sept. 17.

“People in the barrios and barangays were unaware of the plebiscite,” Omelio said. “Many are busy earning a living, they should be informed,” Omelio added.

No group has so far campaigned for a “No” vote for the proposed split of the province while elected local officials have been campaigning for the “Yes” vote. INQ