WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Over 800,000 eligible voters hold Maguindanao’s fate in their hands on Saturday, September 17, as they vote to decide on the province’s proposed split into two.
The one-day plebiscite is set to determine whether law signed by then-president Rodrigo Duterte in 2021 will be successfully ratified.
With the lack of visible opposition campaigners, local officials have been expecting residents to accept the province’s division into two: Maguindanao del Norte and Maguindanao del Sur.
Bookmark and refresh this page for updates on the Maguindanao plebiscite.
LATEST UPDATES
Maguindanao plebiscite ends
Voting for the Maguindanao plebiscite ends at 3 pm today. Those in line within 30 meters from the polling place will still be accommodated, Comelec guarantees.
— Dwight De Leon (@newsdwight) September 17, 2022
HIGHLIGHTS: Comelec press briefing on plebiscite day
Voter turnout is 56% in what would be Maguindanao del Norte as of midday, and 56% also in what would be Maguindanao del Sur, says Comelec spokesman Rex Laudiangco during the press briefing. | via @newsdwight
— Rappler (@rapplerdotcom) September 17, 2022
WATCH: https://t.co/bFeZRPp2nY pic.twitter.com/fY6KcNuCsv
BARMM election director Ray Sumalipao says no single untoward incident has been reported so far on plebiscite day. #MaguindanaoPlebiscite | via @newsdwight
— Rappler (@rapplerdotcom) September 17, 2022
WATCH: https://t.co/bFeZRPp2nY pic.twitter.com/NbDnBtpbTi
Comelec still expects more ballots to be cast until 3 pm on Saturday, September 17. #MaguindanaoPlebiscite | via @herbie_gomez https://t.co/bFeZRPp2nY
— Rappler (@rapplerdotcom) September 17, 2022
Comelec Chief George Garcia calls on Maguindanao voters who have yet to participate in the plebiscite to seize the opportunity to make their voice heard before polls close at 3 pm. #MaguindanaoPlebiscite | via @newsdwight
— Rappler (@rapplerdotcom) September 17, 2022
WATCH: https://t.co/bFeZRPp2nY pic.twitter.com/hZQlTJI4L6
Laudiangco expresses confidence the 56% initial voter turnout would still rise. "Hindi po ito mababa," he asserts. #MaguindanaoPlebiscite | via @newsdwight https://t.co/bFeZRPp2nY
— Rappler (@rapplerdotcom) September 17, 2022
Namfrel: Very low turnout on the morning of plebiscite day
Poll watchdog National Citizens’ Movement for Free Elections said the plebiscite has been smooth and peaceful so far, but turnout was “very low” in some voting centers.
Here are some of Namfrel’s initial observations:
- Security remains an issues as some voters decided not to leave their homes due to safety concerns
- Ballot boxes in some polling places were open “or fastened with just a plastic seal”
- COVID-19 protocols on the wearing of face masks and physical distancing were not strictly observed in some polling places
Read full report here:
.@Namfrel releases initial observations on the Maguindanao plebiscite, says it has been generally smooth and peaceful, but turnout was "very low" in some areas in the morning. pic.twitter.com/arfo4AjaiY
— Dwight De Leon (@newsdwight) September 17, 2022
LOOK: Comelec Chair Garcia checks conduct of plebiscite
LOOK: Comelec chief George Garcia visits a school in Barangay Talisawa, Datu Abdullah Sangki, Maguindanao to check the conduct of the plebiscite there.
— Dwight De Leon (@newsdwight) September 17, 2022
đź“· @ChairGEGarcia's office pic.twitter.com/adRnMteE2V
Watchdog notes some issues in first hours of Maguindanao plebiscite
Poll watchdog Legal Network for Truthful Elections (Lente) published its assessment of the first few hours of the Maguindanao plebiscite, saying poll workers arrived on time and without delays, but raised some issues that its volunteers observed.
These include:
- Lack of voters’ assistance desk in some locations, causing some delay and uncertainty
- Report of missing names in some voters’ list
- Presence of military and other security personnel inside the voting center
- Lack of accessible polling places for vulnerable sectors in some voting centers
Read Lente’s report below:
17 September 2022
— LENTE Philippines (@lente_ph) September 17, 2022
LENTE Maguindanao Plebiscite Observation Report (From 6:00 AM to 10:00 AM)
In commitment to a Safe, Accountable, Transparent, Inclusive Elections that inspires National public confidence, pic.twitter.com/6aqa4zIYmP
Comelec sees high voter turnout in Maguindanao plebiscite
Comelec Chairman George Garcia, who is supervising the plebiscite in Maguindanao, says the number of voters could surpass Comelec projections.
Photos on social media pages, including that of the National Movement for Free Elections (Namfrel), show empty seats in plebiscite precincts as of mid-morning on Saturday, though the plebiscite would be until 3 pm.
Read more.
Lente’s assessment of first few hours of plebiscite
Poll watchdog @lente_ph publishes its assessment of the first few hours of the #MaguindanaoPlebiscite. It says mostly no delays in the voting centers they observed. pic.twitter.com/09xAAq0lWQ
— Dwight De Leon (@newsdwight) September 17, 2022
No voters so far at precinct in Borongotan Elementary School
Namfrel reports that two hours since the polls began, no one has cast their ballot at a precinct in Borongotan Elementary School in North Upi, Maguindanao.
— Dwight De Leon (@newsdwight) September 17, 2022
📸 @Namfrel pic.twitter.com/a8Y9P0OuS5