The 2019 Bangsamoro autonomy plebiscite was a two-part plebiscite held in parts of Mindanao, Philippines, that ratified the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL), replaced the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) with the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), and determined the scope of the new autonomous region.
Under the BOL, the plebiscite was required to be held no earlier than 90 days and no later than 150 days after the law was signed on July 26, 2018. The first part of the plebiscite was held on January 21, 2019. Voters in the ARMM voted on the ratification of the BOL, while voters in Cotabato City and Isabela City voted on whether their respective cities would be included in the proposed autonomous region. The second part was held on February 6, 2019, to determine whether the region would be expanded further. Voters in six municipalities in Lanao del Norte and 67 barangays in Cotabato province voted on whether their localities would be included in the BARMM.
On January 25, 2019, the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) announced that the BOL was "deemed ratified" after results from the first part of the plebiscite showed majority support for the law. The election body also announced that a majority of voters in Cotabato City had voted in favor of joining the proposed autonomous region, while voters in Isabela City had rejected inclusion.
In the February 6 plebiscite, voters in 63 of the 67 barangays in Cotabato province voted in favor of joining the proposed region. In Lanao del Norte, voters in 9 of the province's 22 municipalities voted in favor of inclusion, including the six municipalities (Balo-i, Munai, Nunungan, Pantar, Tagoloan, and Tangcal) that had petitioned to join the proposed region. However, unlike the Cotabato barangays, whose inclusion was determined by the vote in the municipalities to which they belonged, the inclusion of the six municipalities in Lanao del Norte also required a majority of voters throughout the province to approve their inclusion. The province-wide vote rejected their inclusion, and consequently none of the six municipalities joined the autonomous region. All 63 Cotabato barangays where voters approved inclusion, meanwhile, became part of the BARMM.
On September 9, 2024, the Supreme Court upheld the validity of the Bangsamoro Organic Law but declared unconstitutional the provision treating the provinces of the former ARMM as a single unit for purposes of determining ratification. Because a majority of voters in Sulu had rejected ratification of the law in the 2019 plebiscite, the court ruled that Sulu was not part of the BARMM.
Scope Bangsamoro 'core' territory Voters in localities referred to as the core territory of the proposed Bangsamoro Autonomous Region were eligible to participate in the plebiscite. The core territory covers: Current territory of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao Isabela City in Basilan Cotabato City 6 municipalities in Lanao del Norte (*) — Nunungan, Tangcal, Munai, Pantar, Balo-i and Tagoloan 39 barangays in Cotabato (*) Aleosan (3) — Dunguan, Lower Mingading and Tapodoc Carmen (2) — Manarapan and Nasapian Kabacan (3) — Nanga-an, Simbuhay and Sanggadong Midsayap (12) — Damatulan, Kadigasan, Kadingilan, Kapinpilin, Kudarangan, Central Labas, Malingao, Mudseng, Nabalawag, Olandang, Sambulawan and Tugal Pigcawayan (8) — Lower Baguer, Balacayon, Buricain, Datu Binasing, Kadingilan, Matilac, Patot and Lower Pangangkalan Pikit (11) — Bangoinged, Balatican, S. Balong, S. Balongis, Batulawan, Buliok, Gokotan, Kabasalan, Lagunde, Macabual and Macasendeg Voters in the whole provinces of Lanao del Norte and Cotabato also had to vote if they consented to a locality's secession from the regions of their parent provinces (Northern Mindanao and Soccsksargen, respectively) to join the proposed Bangsamoro Autonomous Region.
Other areas Additionally, adjacent local government units bordering the localities above could opt for inclusion in the plebiscite through their local governments or a petition by its registered voters. The Comelec released guidelines regarding this concern on October 22, 2018 and gave local government units seeking this course of action until October 31, 2018 to comply. Voters or the local government of the petitioning locality had to pay a filing fee and a research fee as imposed by the election body.
A total of 62 localities was initially announced to have made bids to participate in the plebiscite, although not all of them were contiguous to the defined Bangsamoro core territory. Fifty-six of these petitions were initiated by local governments while six were made by registered voters of the petitioning localities. The Comelec planned to decide on all of these petitions initially by mid-November 2018 but later moved their target to December 15, 2018. Due to the large number of petitions, the Comelec decided on December 7, 2018 to schedule the planned plebiscite on two separate dates (January 21 and February 6, 2019) stating that they could not process all petitions by December 15 with localities with successful petitions taking part in the February vote.
A total of 103 petitions were filed, but only 28 were accepted. Petitions not accepted were either due to the petitioning locality not being adjacent to the defined core territory of the proposed Bangsamoro Autonomous Region or failure to submit sufficient requirements for their bid to get included in the plebiscite. Voters from the 28 accepted barangays were permitted to participate in the February polling.
Approved additional areas By early January 2019, the Comelec has approved the petition of 20 barangays in Cotabato:
Aleosan (1) — Pagangan Carmen (5) — Pebpoluan, Kibayao, Kitulaan, Tupig, and Langogan Pigcawayan (4) — Libungan Torreta, Pangankalan, Datu Mantil, and Simsiman Pikit (10) — Rajahmuda, Barungis, Gli-Gli, Nalapaan, Panicupan, Bualan, Nabundas, Nunguan, Manaulanan, and Bulol
On January 11, 2019, the Comelec announced the final list of additional participating localities for the plebiscite. The petitions of eight more barangays, all from Cotabato, were approved by the election body.
Pikit (2) — Pamalian and Fort Pikit Kabacan (4) — Pedtad, Buluan, Simone, and Tamped Midsayap (1) — Tumbras Tulunan (1) — Galidan
Unapproved petitions At least twelve localities in Zamboanga del Sur filed petitions for their participation in the plebiscite. Three island barangays of Zamboanga City also reportedly filed petitions, a supposed move which was condemned by city mayor Maria Isabelle Climaco. The barangay captains of the three Zamboanga City barangays later denied filing petitions.
Preparations Voters' registration The Commission on Elections (Comelec) conducted a three-day satellite voter registration in select venues in the constituent provinces of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao as well as in the provinces of Lanao del Norte and Cotabato, and in the cities of Cotabato and Isabela, Basilan from September 11 to 13, 2018. Alongside with voter's registration, residents were able to transfer, reactivate, or correct their registration, as well as have their records included or reinstated. Those who had registered for the most recent barangay and Sanggunian Kabataan elections were not required to undergo the registration process. Fifteen satellites centers were set by the Comelec, one of which was in a camp controlled by the rebel group Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), which played a major part in the conception of the BOL. MILF members were also among those who registered for the plebiscite, some of whom lacked government-issued IDs such as birth certificates. Despite this, their own self-issued identification documents were accepted as valid IDs for the purpose of registration.
The Comelec recorded a total of 2,839,659 registered voters from 3,273 in certain areas in Mindanao and expected a 75% turn-out for the vote.
Campaign and plebiscite period
The campaign period for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region creation plebiscite began on December 7, 2018 and ended on January 19, 2019, while the plebiscite period was scheduled to be held between December 7, 2018 to February 5, 2019. The voting for the plebiscite took place on January 21, 2019 as per an en banc decision by the Commission on Elections.
During the campaign period, a gun ban was imposed in localities set to participate in the plebiscite. During the same period, the following acts were also prohibited: the establishment of a new voting precinct or alteration of the territory of an existing one, the transfer or detail of officers and civil service employees, the organization and maintenance of "strike forces" or similar entities, and the suspension of any elective public official from the barangay to the provincial level including elective officials in independent cities.
The Comelec was also tasked to aid in holding information campaigns in every participating local government unit as well as allow the conduct of information dissemination and public advocacy events by other government agencies, non-government organizations and private individuals in relation to the plebiscite. Every barangay was also directed to hold at least one assembly during the campaign period informing constituents on matters regarding the BOL.
On January 6, 2019, a rally was organized in Jolo, Sulu as an expression of support to the ratification of the BOL which was attended by former Sulu governor Benjamin Loong as well as former and incumbent mayors of some of the towns of Sulu. Similar actions were planned in Basilan, Tawi-Tawi, and other parts of Sulu.
There was also reluctance or opposition against the ratification of the BOL. In Basilan, officials of Isabela City actively campaigned against their city's inclusion in the proposed region. ARMM Governor Mujiv Hataman allayed concerns of Christians living in the city regarding potential marginalization should their city become part of the new autonomous region reasoning that the neighboring town of Lamitan has been governed by Christians despite being part of the ARMM. Hataman also said that Christian practices such as fiestas and eating pork would not be made illegal should the BOL be ratified contrary to what people against the legislation is saying in their campaign. Basilan Governor Jim Hataman on his part claimed that the BOL is a "sure win" in his province. Meanwhile, Cotabato City Mayor Cynthia Guiani-Sayad expressed reservations on the potential inclusion of her city in the proposed region.
In Sulu, Governor Abdusakur Tan Sr. was against the ratification of the BOL and questioned the law's constitutionality at the Supreme Court. However, some Sulu leaders voiced support for the law.
The provincial government of Lanao del Norte campaigned for a "No" vote since it opposed the inclusion of six of its municipalities in the proposed Bangsamoro Autonomous Region. Lanao del Norte Governor Imelda Quibranza Dimaporo as well as her husband Abdullah and son Mohammad Khalid, who were both members of the House of Representatives lead the provincial government's campaign. Abdullah Makapaar, the leader of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front's North Western Mindanao Command, campaigned for a "Yes" vote – promising to double the salary of teachers and the establishment of orphanage centers in the province.
Question
The crafting of the questions to be use in the plebiscite by the Comelec was already being finalized by mid-September 2018.
In October 2018, it was reported that in the defined core territories of the proposed Bangsamoro Autonomous Region, voters will be asked to answer "Yes" or "No" if they approve the Bangsamoro Organic Law or not while in surrounding areas and non-core areas, voters will be presented a "two-folded" question.