Comelec all set for Maguindanao plebiscite, preps for barangay polls ongoing
MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Elections said it is all set for the Maguindanao plebiscite, while preparations for the Barangay and Sangguiniang Kabataan elections (BSKE) set for December are still ongoing.
The Maguindanao plebiscite will be held on Saturday, September 17. The poll body said 818,790 voters will decide if the province should be divided in two, splitting it to Maguindanao del Norte and Maguindanao del Sur.
This is to ratify Republic Act 11550, which was signed into law by then President Rodrigo Duterte in May 2021.
For the plebiscite, the Comelec has allotted 501 voting centers with 1,906 clustered precincts, which can accommodate 600 voters at most. Voting and counting will be done manually, instead of using the automated election system utilized in the national elections.
Voters may cast their votes until 3 p.m., while the poll body expects results of the plebiscite to be available by 10 p.m.
The Philippine National Police will be deploying two officers per voting center. Meanwhile, the 2,961 members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines will assist the PNP to ensure everything remains orderly during the plebiscite.
The command center of the poll body’s supervisory teams will be at the Maguindanao provincial capitol to respond and address concerns immediately.
Meanwhile, the commission said preparations for the BSKE are still ongoing despite lawmakers in both houses of Congress urging to postpone the elections. However, the Comelec has decided to delay training teachers and members of the AFP and the PNP for the BSKE just in case the elections will be postponed.
READ: Postponing barangay, SK polls won't save government money after all
“In the event that the [BSKE] will not push through by December 5, 2022… the en banc is planning to hold plebiscites by December,” Comelec Chairman George Garcia said in mixed English and Filipino, adding that the poll body may conduct at least two or three more plebiscites by the end of the year.
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