Cotabato City

After 3 years, Cotabato City officially acknowledges being part of BARMM

Rommel Rebollido

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After 3 years, Cotabato City officially acknowledges being part of BARMM

BARMM. The Bangsamoro government executive building.

Bangsamoro Government

The Cotabato City council affirms the move in a resolution authored by Councilor Marouf Pasawiran

GENERAL SANTOS CITY, Philippines — The Cotabato City government finally acknowledged and officially recognized the city’s inclusion in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), three years after the majority of residents voted for it.

The Cotabato City council affirmed the move on Tuesday, July 19, in a resolution authored by Councilor Marouf Pasawiran.

The resolution advised all government offices in the city to use BARMM as their regional address. 

Another resolution of the city council also urged the use of the BARMM official logo on business license plates and official documents of the city government.

It took three years before the city government finally recognized the BARMM inclusion because the former city administration petitioned the Supreme Court to declare null and void the result of the January 2021 plebiscite.

In petitioning the High Tribunal, former mayor Cynthia Guiani Sayadi said they documented all the alleged violence, threats, and intimidation that transpired within and outside polling places during the plebiscite.

With the city council resolution, BARMM Local Government Minister Naguib Sinarimbo said, “This will take the sail out of her (Sayadi) boat, so to speak.”

In December 2020, then-secretary Eduardo Año of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) turned over the supervision of Cotabato City local government to BARMM.

He said the turnover of the city to BARMM was based on the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL). 

The turnover included records of the DILG Cotabato field office, including that of 63 barangays, programs and projects, documents, properties, and assets.

Commenting on Sayadi’s petition, Año said it did not stop the operation of the BOL which has been ratified by the majority of Cotabato City residents. – Rappler.com

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