Cotabato City mayor to protest plebiscite result

COTABATO CITY, Philippines — Mayor Cynthia Guiani-Sayadi is calling for a repeat of the Bangsamoro Organic Law plebiscite in the city, claiming fraud, intimidation and other irregularities.

According to poll results that have already been forwarded to Manila, Cotabato City voted to ratify the law with 36,682 voters in favor and 24,994 opposed. 

With the ratification, Cotabato City will be included in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, a development that Guiani-Sayadi had campaigned against.

READ: Tension in Cotabato City as BOL plebiscite kicks off

She said the city government will protest the results before the Commission on Elections based on cases of harassment and attempts by non-residents to vote in the city. 

"We have enough evidence to prove that. We will initiate appropriate actions. I challenge the Comelec to conduct another plebiscite on February 6 to enable voters here to exercise their right of suffrage safely and freely," Guiani-Sayadi said.

The Comelec will hold a plebiscite on February 6 in several towns in Lanao del Norte in Region 10 and in North Cotabato in Region 12 to determine if residents there are in favor of joining the BARMM.

READ: Gratitude, calls for unity after historic Bangsamoro plebiscite

Mohagher Iqbal, chief negotiator of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and a member of the Bangsamoro Transition Commission, on Thursday appealed to people on both sides of the issue to unite now that the plebiscite is done.

Guiani-Sayadi said she has appealed to Comelec Chairman Sherriff Abas to inhibit from all plebiscite proceedings due to family ties with Iqbal. Iqbal and Abas are of the Abas clan of Maguindanao.

Iqbal told reporters Thursday the MILF, which will lead the transition government until elections are held in the new region, will administer the BARMM based on principles of co-existence, fraternalism and consensus-building in addressing domestic security and socio-economic issues.

Rep. Sandra Sema (Maguindanao), whose district also covers the 37 barangays in Cotabato City, said Tuesday she will sponsor a bill naming the city regional capital of BARMM.

Although Cotabato City can be the provisional seat of the new region—the ARMM government is based in the city—the BOL provides that it is the Bangsamoro parliament that will "fix by law the permanent seat of the Bangsamoro Government anywhere within the territorial jurisdiction of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region taking into consideration accessibility and efficiency in which its mandate may be carried out."

The BOL is a product of more than 20 years of peace talks between the government and the MILF.