THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) is all set for two scheduled plebiscites that will be held 33 days apart in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

The plebiscites are for the creation of three barangay in Marawi and eight municipalities in North Cotabato.

Comelec spokesman John Rex Laudiangco on Thursday said the first referendum will be held on Saturday, March 9, for the creation of separate and distinct villages in the Islamic City of Marawi.

The plebiscite will ratify the creation of Barangay Sultan Carobong which will be culled out from Barangay Dulay Proper, Sultan Panorgananan, Kilala, Angoyao and Patani.

Laudiangco said the second plebiscite is scheduled on April 13 for the creation of eight municipalities in North Cotabato as implemented by Comelec Resolution 10962.

Per Bangsamoro Autonomy Acts 41 to 48, the proposed eight municipalities will come from 63 barangay or villages, known as the Special Geographic Area, all in North Cotabato.

Proposed to be created are the municipalities of Pahamuddin, Kadayangan, Nabalawag, Old Kalabakan, Kapalawan, Mahdegao, Tugunan and Ligawasan.

The 63 barangay, and their respective municipalities will originate from the municipalities of Aleosan, Carmen, Kabacan, Midsayap, Pigcawayan and Pikit.

The 63 barangay have a total of 89,594 registered voters.

Laudiangco said that if the proposed creation of eight municipalities and three barangay are ratified, it will bring the total number of municipalities to 1,496, and the villages to 42,049.

A municipality is created by an Act of Congress but in the case of BARMM, it is created by the Bangsamoro Autonomy Act subject to the approval of the majority of the affected electorate in a plebiscite.

The requisites for its creation are an average annual income of at least P2.5 million for the last two consecutive years; a population of at least 25,000; and a contiguous territory of at least 50 square kilometers.

"If ratified, the proposed new municipalities could already participate in the 2025 midterm polls to elect their respective mayor, vice mayor and members of the municipal council," said Laudiangco, adding that the same is also true for the three barangay.

The 2025 midterm elections will be held in May.

Laudiangco said the Comelec is fully prepared for the conduct of the two plebiscites.

He added that preparations already made were more than sufficient, including plans on the mobilization of personnel from the Comelec and its deputized agencies, particularly the Philippine National Police and the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

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