Malacañang is optimistic that next month’s referendum for the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) will yield positive results, following the BOL’s ratification on Friday. Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo said the ratification of the BOL ushered “a ray of hope” to the “war-weary, poverty-stricken, long-neglected and much-heralded promised land” of Mindanao. On Friday night, the Commission on Elections announced that the BOL was deemed ratified after 1,540,017 residents voted for ratification while 198,750 rejected the BOL in a referendum on Jan. 21. Second plebisciteThe Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) will cover the five existing provinces of the ARMM and Cotabato City. Following the ratification of the BOL, the Palace said the BARMM would be created as soon as Mr. Duterte constituted the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA).

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer January 27, 2019 21:33 UTC