3 Army battalions to secure plebiscite for creation of  8 Bangsamoro towns

COTABATO CITY - The Philippine Army will deploy three battalions of soldiers to help ensure a peaceful conduct of the April 13, 2024 plebiscite for the creation of eight municipalities covering 63 Bangsamoro barangays in different towns in North Cotabato province.

Major Gen. Alex Rillera, commander of the Army’s 6^th Infantry Division, told reporters, in a press briefing on Friday, that they shall mobilize the personnel of the 90^th, 34^th and 6^th Infantry Battalions to help the Commission on Elections facilitate the plebiscite.

The April 13 exercise is a requisite for the creation of the eight towns in the 63 barangays, together grouped now as the Special Geographic Area, or SGA, whose residents voted in favor of the inclusion of their barangays in the core territory of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao during a referendum in February 2019.

“While there is no threat to the safety of the April 13 plebiscite in these areas, we want to show to residents that the 6^th ID is all out in supporting the Mindanao peace process between the national government and Mindanao’s Moro communities, aiming to promote progress in BARMM via governance,” Rillera said.

The setting up of the eight municipalities meant to maximize delivery of local government services to villagers, is premised on enabling measures drafted by BARMM’s 80-member interim parliament.

The BARMM lawmaking body has named Pahamudin, Kadayangan, Nabalawag, Old Kaabakan, Kapalawan, Malidegao, Tugunan and Ligawasan the eight municipalities it wants to establish in North Cotabato province. 

Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia, Region 12 police director Brig. Gen. Jimili Macaraeg and Rillera together announced the schedule of the plebiscite during an initial security dialogue related to it early this week at the headquarters of the Police Regional Office-12 in Barangay Tambler in General Santos City.

Mayors in North Cotabato, which is administratively under Region 12, said they shall also help the PRO-12, the 6^th ID and the Comelec secure the conduct of the April 13 plebiscite in the 63 Bangsamoro SGA barangays.

“I will compel our Association of Barangay Captains to help facilitate the plebiscite. Several barangays in Midsayap are now part of the SGA, no longer under our local government unit, but whose residents we continue to serve as if they are still under our LGU,” Mayor Rolly Sacdalan of Midsayap said on Saturday.

He said he would mobilize their Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office during the actual plebiscite day in support of the security efforts for the activity of PRO-12 and the 6^th ID.

The mayor of Kabacan, Evangeline Guzman, said her administration shall also extend the support needed to ensure an orderly plebiscite in the SGA barangays .