Comelec defers canvassing of BOL plebiscite votes

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has deferred the canvassing or the counting of votes cast on Day 1 of the plebiscite on the ratification of the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) pending the arrival of the Certificates of Canvass from the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), Sulu, and Cotabato City.

The Comelec en banc, led by Chairman Sheriff Abas convened as National Board of Canvassers after an hour and a half delay on Tuesday. Ten minutes into  it, the session was abruptly adjourned by Abas since the results from the plebiscite are yet to be received by the Comelec’s central office in Manila.

Abas did not provide an explanation as to why the arrival of certificates of canvass was delayed.

Lawyer Consuelo Diola of the Comelec Secretariat Office announced that the canvassing of BOL votes will resume on Wednesday, January 23, at 1 pm.

In a later interview, Comelec chief Abas insisted that there was no delay and that the counting of votes for Day 1 will be done in a week.

“Normal lang sa amin ‘yun [na i-open ang session ng Board of Canvassers today]. There is no delay. Most likely, tomorrow, meron ng naihatid sa amin [na Certificate of Canvass at election returns]. Ang target namin, one week, pero depende pa rin sa sa dating [ng mga dokumento],” Abas told reporters.

“Credible ang plebiscite, walang untoward incidents, except roon sa maliliit ng incidents sa Cotabato City,” Abas added.

Abas was referring to the attack on men suspected of being flying voters, a grenade lobbed at a school, delays in the voting process during Day 1 of the BOL plebiscite and reports of supposed presence of local officials on polling precincts.

A similar plebiscite will be held on February 6 in Lanao del Norte except Iligan City, the municipalities of Aleosan, Carmen, Kabacan, Midsayap, Pikit and Pigkayawan in North Cotabato, and all other areas adjacent to any of the Bangsamoro "core areas."

The BOL replaces the ARMM with a Bangsamoro Region governed by Bangsamoro Region’s inhabitants on top of being guaranteed a block grant which would be sourced from five percent share of the net national internal revenue collection of the Bureau of Internal Revenue and the Bureau of Customs and a P5 billion worth of Special Development Fund for the next 10 years, starting this year. — MDM/RSJ, GMA News