North Cotabato residents ratify creation of 8 new municipalities in BARMM

Majority of voters in some towns of North Cotabato on Saturday expressed approval via plebiscite for the creation of eight new municipalities in the Special Geographic Area (SGA) of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

A total of 72,358 voters ratified the creation of the eight new municipalities, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said in a press statement. Only 273 voted no.

Of the 89,594 registered voters in the participating barangays, 72,658 voters voted, representing a voter turnout of 81.10%, the poll body added.

The Comelec said the plebiscite was successful, peaceful, and orderly, with the help of the Philippine National Police, Armed Forces of the Philippines, and local government units.

Voting was conducted from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. in elementary schools and eight canvassing centers. The canvassing of votes, meanwhile, was done at 6 p.m. in the mother municipalities where the new municipalities will be created, the poll body added.

The eight new municipalities thus created are:

1. Kadayangan
2. Nabalawag
3. Old Kaabakan
4. Kapalawan
5. Malidegao
6. Tugunan
7. Ligawasan
8. Pahamuddin

The above-mentioned barangays came from the municipalities of Aleosan, Carmen, Kabacan, Midsayap, Pigcawayan, and Pikit, Comelec said.

BARMM Member of Parliament Kellie Antao on Saturday said the voting was the culmination of the aspirations of the Bangsamoro people in the area for inclusion in the autonomous region.

"The event today is indeed historical as this represents the aspirations of our people," Antao said.

"SGA is a territory of the BARMM scattered in different municipalities of Cotabato Province, established through a lawful plebiscite in 2019, carving out 63 barangays from the municipalities of Carmen, Kabacan, Pikit, Aleosan, Midsayap, and Pigcawayan," the BARMM Information Office said.

Before the 2019 plebiscite, 67 barangays petitioned to be included in SGA but only 63 barangays made it to the final list, Antao said.

Lauding the "peaceful and orderly" conduct of the plebiscite, MP Amir Mawallil, Bangsamoro Peoples Party president, said the BPP supports the creation of the new municipalities and added that the party looks forward to the peaceful conduct of next year’s polls in BARMM.

“We in the BPP hope that the recent plebiscite in the SGA resulting in the creation of eight new towns will contribute greatly to the potential for peaceful and orderly elections in BARMM next year,” Mawallil said.

He added that the plebiscite in the SGA serves as a sort of pilot test for electoral processes within BARMM when it conducts the historic elections in the region next year.

“As a vital precursor to next year's elections, the plebiscite serves as a valuable opportunity to identify and address potential challenges, thereby enhancing the overall integrity and inclusivity of the electoral process,” Mawallil explained.

“The BPP views the peaceful conduct of the plebiscite as a positive indication of the region's readiness for the upcoming elections. It reflects the collective determination of BARMM constituents to actively participate in shaping the future of their communities through democratic means,” he added.—KG/RF, GMA Integrated News