The Bangsamoro won additional territory in Cotabato, with the “yes” vote winning in 63 out of 67 villages that petitioned to join the new region, Rappler.com reported on Friday.
This was based on the final unofficial results monitored by the United Bangsamoro Party or UBP of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, executive director Naguib Sinarimbo said on Friday.
The Commission on Elections was expected to start canvassing the votes in Manila on Friday to make the results official.
The affirmative vote won in all villages in Midsayap (13), Pigkawayan (12), Kabacan (7) and Carmen (7). It also won in 22 villages in Pikit and in two villages in Aleosan.
All these villages, as well as Cotabato City, will join the provinces of the current Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao to establish a new autonomous region with wider powers and control over resources. It will be called the Bangsamoro Region in Muslim Mindanao or BARMM.
Sinarimbo said the plebiscite was lost in two villages in Aleosan, one in Pikit, and the lone village that petitioned for inclusion in Tulunan.
The Bangsamoro Organic Law or BOL was ratified after the Jan. 21 vote with a landslide victory in the ARMM provinces and a majority win in Cotabato City. The plebiscite was lost in Isabela City.
The ratification triggered the Feb. 6 vote to allow other areas to join BARMM.
The vote was also held in Lanao del Norte for six towns that wanted to join BARMM. The “yes” vote won in all six towns, but the majority of the voters in the rest of the province voted “no” to losing these towns. They will stay within the jurisdiction of Lanao del Norte, a victory of the ruling Dimaporo clan that aggressively campaigned for the “no” vote.
The members of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority that will govern the new region until the next elections in 2022 are expected to be appointed this week.