BARMM Chief Minister Ahod Ebrahim addresses thousands of residents during the culmination program of the 5th founding anniversary of the Special Geographic Area on February 14, 2024 in Libungan Toretta of Pigcawayan Cluster. (Hamdan Badrudin/BIO)
SPECIAL GEOGRAPHIC AREA—Bangsamoro Chief Minister Ahod Ebrahim urged the constituents of 63 barangays in North Cotabato to vote in the upcoming plebiscite slated on April 13, 2024, which aims to establish new municipalities.
The pronouncement was made during the culmination program of the 5th founding anniversary of the Special Geographic Area (SGA) on February 14, where thousands of residents gathered in Libungan Torreta of the Pigcawayan Cluster to commemorate their inclusion in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
SGA is a territory of the BARMM scattered in different municipalities of Cotabato Province established through a lawful plebiscite in 2019, carving out 63 barangays from the municipalities of Carmen, Kabacan, Pikit, Midsayap, and Pigcawayan.
On April 17, 2023, the 80-seat Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) parliament approved the bill for the creation of eight new municipalities in SGA, namely Pahamuddin, Kadayangan, Nabalawag, Old Kaabakan, Kapalawan, Malidegao, Tugunan, and Ligawasan.
Under existing laws, no creation, division, merger, abolition, or substantial alteration of boundaries of local government units shall take effect unless approved by a majority of the votes cast in a plebiscite called for the purpose in the political unit or units directly affected.
Once the result of the upcoming plebiscite favors the establishment of the new municipalities, an Officer-in-Charge will be appointed as the interim local executive of each new town.
The Chief Minister confirmed that constituents can nominate their candidates, but the final appointment will be decided by the regional government.
“Ultimately, you can endorse your nominees as OICs but in the end, we will decide along with other leaders in BARMM who will be appointed,” Ebrahim assured the public.
Meanwhile, Ministry of the Interior and Local Government (MILG) Minister Atty. Sha Elijah Dumama-Alba discussed the importance of unity and cooperation among the residents in overcoming challenges.
“Let’s show our unity and cooperation in the upcoming plebiscite in the SGA on April 13,” Alba urged, resonating with the regional government’s intention to establish the SGA as individual municipalities.
The lawyer praised the residents’ display of unity and support throughout the process of separating from their former province up to their inclusion in BARMM.
Chief Minister Ebrahim also expressed his hopes for the SGA to achieve provincial status through a legislation in the Bangsamoro Parliament. He said that after the constitution of the clustered barangay into municipalities, it would be possible that a province could be created.
“What will happen is—once we have created the municipalities, we will see the possibility of constituting them into a province,” the Chief Minister said. (Abdullah Matucan/BIO)
