The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Thursday said it has ceased preparations for the supposed plebiscites to ratify the creation of three new municipalities in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) after the Supreme Court's decision.
“Pinag-usapan ng Comelec en banc ang decision ng Supreme Court sa plebisito sa Bangsamoro. Kaagad kami nag issue ng directive sa lahat ng tao natin sa field na kaagad ihinto ang kahit anong preparasyon sa plebisito na yan (The Comelec en banc tackled the Supreme Court's decision on the plebiscite in the Bangsamoro. We immediately issued a directive to our personnel in the field to stop any preparation for the plebiscite)," poll body chair George Erwin Garcia said in a press briefing.
He noted that holding the supposed plebiscite would have been the poll body's basis for preparing for next year's first BARMM parliamentary polls.
Garcia also reported that they have already used a huge part of the PHP60 million budget allotted for the supposed plebiscite.
“Nakabili na kami ng gamit, paraphernalia, pati papel sa printing ng balota. Hindi pa nasimulan printing kasi madali naman yun dahil hindi naman madami. Hindi galing sa pondo ng Commission, galing sa BARMM funds ito (We have already bought equipment, paraphernalia and even paper for printing of the ballots. We have not yet started printing because we do not need so many ballots. The fund is not from the Commission, it is from the BARMM),” he said.
The Comelec chief, however, assured proper liquidation of expenses for the supposed plebiscite.
On Tuesday, the SC directed the poll body to stop the holding of the plebiscites on Sept. 7 and 21 regarding the ratification of Bangsamoro Autonomy Act Nos. 53, 54, and 55 creating the municipalities of Datu Sinsuat Balabaran, Sheik Abas Hamza, and Nuling in Maguindanao del Norte province.
The SC declared unconstitutional Section 5 of the Bangsamoro Autonomy Act Nos. 53, 54, and 55, which allows only the qualified voters of the barangays comprising the new municipalities to vote.
The court ruled that qualified voters “from both the new and mother municipalities“ should be included in the plebiscite. (PNA)
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