Bangsamoro plebiscite info drive set

Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) chief Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr,. signed on Friday a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and the Bangsamoro Transition Commission (BTC) on the conduct of an information, education, and communication campaign for the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) plebiscite next year.

“With this new partnership in conducting IECs or voters education that we are about to formalize with the Comeloec, I’m very confident that we will be able to ensure that the public and the voters will have correct and timely information on the conduct of the plebiscite,” Galvez said.

Galvez also said the partnership will ensure the smooth conduct of the plebiscite.

“We promise that this will be a fair and honest election. We will be giving all the Bangsamoro people their freewill to choose where they want to belong,” he said.

The MOA, which was signed by Galvez, Comelec Commissioner Al A. Parreño, and BTC Chairman Ghazali Jaafar, will identify the responsibilities of each party in the preparation and implementation of the voters awareness campaign in the plebiscite areas.

The ratification of the Bangsamoro Organic Law, a legal document that honors all signed peace agreements with the Moro fronts, will be conducted through a plebiscite in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), Cotabato City, and Isabela City on January 6, 2019.

The plebiscite in Lanao del Norte, North Cotabato, and areas whose petition for inclusion will be granted by the Comelec, is scheduled on February 6, 2019.

Comelec spokesman James Jimenez said there have been reports of disinformation being circulated in the plebiscite areas.

“The biggest disinformation we have is the news going around that people should show an ID to vote,” he said.

Jimenez said the partnership will help combat the spread of wrong information. (By Francis T. Wakefield)