On April 13, 2024, plebiscites were held in the Special Geographic Area (SGA) of Bangsamoro in the Philippines to ratify Bangsamoro Acts No. 41–48, which proposed the creation of eight new municipalities out of the 63 barangays in the SGA.
Background.
Area clusters and reorganization.
In September 2019, there was a reported proposal to reorganize the Cotabato barangays into four municipalities through regional legislation and possibly annex them to the neighboring Maguindanao province. Pending the passage of the regional law, there is a plan by Chief Minister Murad Ebrahim to issue an executive order to group the barangays into eight clusters. However, such a plan to form towns from the barangays was temporarily set aside, and it was decided that an administrative body be formed to oversee the barangays' affairs.
Another proposal was to group the barangays into three municipalities instead of four. One of the proposed municipalities is Sultan Tambilawan, which is planned to consist of Midsayap's 13 barangays.
The regional government would wait for the results of the 2020 census to determine the exact barangays that would be reorganized into new towns.
By March 2020, the 63 barangays had already been grouped into a Special Geographic Area of the Bangsamoro region. and eight area clusters were formed.
Legislations.
On December 21, 2022, Parliament Bills No. 129 to 136 were filed in the Bangsamoro Parliament proposing the barangays be grouped into eight municipalities.
On August 17, 2023, the bills consolidating the barangays into 8 municipalities were approved by the Bangsamoro Parliament, Chief Minister Ebrahim signed the bills into law (Bangsamoro Act No. 41 to 48) on September 4, 2023.
Conduct.
The Bangsamoro government planned to hold the plebiscite for the ratification of the bills alongside the 2023 Philippine barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections on October 30, 2023. However, such plan was considered impossible by the Bangsamoro office of the Commission on Elections due to time constraints.
The plebiscites were held on April 13, 2024. COMELEC stated that there were 89,594 registered voters covering 189 clustered precincts in 67 voting centers.
The Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity reported that the creation was declared ratified after the completion of canvassing at 9 pm. Reported voter turnout was 81.10%; while among the valid votes cast, 99.62% were in favor; only 27 participated voters abstained.
The conduct of the plebiscites were declared as generally peaceful and orderly. However it was noted that voter turnout in a barangay in Aleosan was affected by a clan feud, while in another barangay in Pigcawayan where a former Bangsamoro Transition Authority officer resides, more than half of the voters refuse to participate.
References.
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