Voters’ education

THE BANGSAMORO Transition Commission (BTC), Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (Opapp) and the Commission on Elections (Comelec) are working hand in hand to complete the series of voters’ education activities in the Muslim areas areas before the Jan. 21 plebiscite.

“This is the major program we are working on right now,” BTC commissioner Mussolini Lidasan told TIMES on Friday.

“Different BTC commissioners were assigned to different areas depending on their sector and geographical assignments. I am assigned with the Iranun

tribe in Central Mindanao and academe sector,” Lidasan added.

Last Dec. 21, Opapp Sec. Carlito Galvez Jr., BTC chair Ghazali Jaafar and Comelec Commissioner Al Parreño signed the memorandum of agreement on the information, education, and communication campaign (IEC).

The Opapp mainly handles the preparation of voter IEC materials.

The Comelec is tasked to supervise the conduct of voter IECs, including sectoral campaigns for indigenous communities, women, youth, religious, professionals, and public and private sector employees in every barangay, municipality, city and province. BTC will be providing resource persons and technical assistance during IECs.

The new partnership in conducting IECs is set to “ensure that the public and the voters will have correct and timely information on the conduct of the plebiscite”.

The Comelec has scheduled the plebiscite for the ratification of the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) on Jan. 21.