Marawi City, Basilan agree to join ARMM

Of the 25 cities and provinces where a plebiscite was held recently, only the Basilan province and Marawi City have agreed to join the expanded Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said after a five-day vote count.

Comelec Chairman Alfredo Benipayo said the 'yes' vote prevailed in Basilan by 73,866 to 22,121. He added that Marawi City joined its mother province, Lanao del Sur, in making up the ARMM by a 'yes' vote of 26,362 against a 'no' vote of 2,426.

Sitting as the National Board of Canvassers (NBCs), the Comelec yesterday completed the counting of the August 14 plebiscite votes, with the arrival of the results from Palawan, which overwhelmingly voted 'no' to ARMM expansion by 113,843 to 1,717.

The other areas that rejected inclusion in the expanded ARMM were the provinces of North Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Davao del Sur, Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga del Norte, Sarangani, South Cotabato, Lanao del Norte, and Zamboanga Sibugay; and the cities of Tacurong, Digos, Pagadian, Cotabato, Isabela, Iligan, Zamboanga, General Santos, Koronadal, Puerto Princesa, Dipolog, and Dapitan.

Republic Act 9140, the new autonomy act that seeks to amend RA 6734, the law that created ARMM, was ratified in the same plebiscite by the four original ARMM provinces of Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, Tawi-Tawi, and Sulu.

Comelec Commissioner Rex Borra said the new law seeks to expand the ARMM by including 11 provinces and 14 cities, of which only two agreed to be included.

The Malacanang, reacting to a statement made by Parouk Hussin, chairman of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), that the government might hold several sets of plebiscite in the future, or at least until everyone is satisfied with the results, said Congress must be convinced that there is a need for another plebiscite in some areas in Mindanao soon after the August 14 vote.

Hussin, who is also presidential adviser on Muslim Mindanao concerns, said holding another plebiscite "is very much within the law and that it is perfectly legal". He said the August 14 plebiscite lacked the needed information dissemination on the pros and cons of being a part of ARMM. The ARMM will have its regional elections on November 26.

Borra said with the four provinces agreeing to the amendments to the Organic Act, among them the expansion of ARMM, the Southern Philippines Council for Peace and Development (SPCPD) will be abolished. He said this was the condition set by RA 9054, which created the SPCPD.

The 1996 peace agreement between the Government and the MNLF provided for the creation of the 14-province, 10-city SPCPD to serve as a transitory implementing mechanism to prepare for an expanded autonomous region.