2 dead, 1 injured in Lanao Sur on Bangsamoro plebiscite day
Credit to Author: MASIDING NOOR YAHYA| Date: Tue, 22 Jan 2019 03:22:43 +0000
MARAWI CITY, Lanao del Sur: Three volunteers from the United Bangsamoro Justice Party (UBJP) were hit by a speeding vehicle in Tamparan municipality, Lanao del Sur province while the Bangsamoro plebiscite was ongoing, causing the deaths of two while the other in serious condition.
Dr. Safrullah Dipatuan, Lanao del Sur provincial chairman of UBJP, a political wing of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), said the three were assisting in the peaceful conduct of the Bangsamoro plebiscite on Monday.
It was not known whether the incident was related to the plebiscite or not. The names and other details of the victims were not also known as of posting time.
Meanwhile, the final results of the just concluded first plebiscite for the ratification of the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) held in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao and the Cities of Isabela in Basilan and Cotabato are expected to be known either on Wednesday or Thursday if all provincial canvass results arrive in the regional canvassing board in Cotabato City.
Lawyer Rasol Y. Mitmug, Jr., secretary of ARMM’s Department of Education (DepEd-ARMM), told The Manila Times the regional board of canvassers has been ready for the canvassing since Monday but as election results from the provinces have yet to come in, it hoped to start at 10 a.m. on Tuesday. Expected to arrive are results from Maguindanao and Lanao del Sur.
Mitmug expected those from the Islands or Basulta (Basilan, Sulu and Tawi Tawi) to arrive on Wednesday considering the distance and the physical need to transport the provincial canvass from Basulta to Cotabato City.
He lauded the teachers, the police, the military, the Commission on Elections and all officials from the villages to the region who unselfishly gave services for a peaceful election in the Bangsamoro plebiscite, and especially to the public who participated.
On the other hand, the Armed Forces of the Philippines believed that Martial law extension paved way for a peaceful Bangsamoro plebiscite in Marawi City and Lanao del Sur.
Col. Romeo Brawner Jr., commander of Philippine Army’s 103rd Infantry Brigade based in Kampo Ranao here asserted that Monday’s generally peaceful plebiscite could be attributed to the martial law extension, which was extended for another year by Congress.
“Like what we did last Special Barangay and SK(Sangguniang Kabataan) elections in Marawi, we did not have any election-related violent incident. We have strictly implemented the total gun-ban until now. Even the provincial and local officials adhere to it,” Brawner said.
The military official is also optimistic that the peaceful situation in Marawi City and Lanao del Sur will remain during the mid-term elections in May this year.
The second plebiscite will be held on February 6 in the provinces of Lanao del Norte and North Cotabato, and all other areas in the Bangsamoro core areas where their local government units (LGUs), by way of a resolution, asked to be included in the plebiscite or at least 10 percent of the registered voters in a local governmebt unit, by way of a petition, asked for inclusion in the plebiscite.
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