MILF official urges all parties to move on after BOL Plebiscite

The MILF which campaigned hard for a Yes Vote, secured 36, 682 votes, compared to No Vote 24, 994 votes with a difference of 11, 588K votes.

Cotabato City is dubbed as the “Crown Jewel” of the upcoming Bangsamoro Region.

Meanwhile, Mayor Cynthia Guiani-Sayadi who rejected the city’s inclusion, said she will file a manifestation with COMELEC, citing "massive disenfranchisement" of voters because of violence and threats coming from MILF supporters. 

These allegations have been belied, and refuted by stakeholders with no other than the Philippine National Police (PNP) declared that the plebiscite was generally peaceful. 

The COMELEC through its spokesman James Jimenez also told reporters in an interview that the recently concluded plebiscite was generally peaceful.

"I respect that. The city mayor can do that because that is her democratic right, but the people have already spoken and I think we should respect this," Mohagher Iqbal, Chairman of the MILF Peace Implementing panel told ANC.

"It’s now time for everybody, the yes and the no votes, to converse together and to move forward as one body," he told ANC's Early Edition.

Iqbal said people went out to cast their ballots last Monday despite mounting "problems," and this was why the votes for the Bangsamoro law and the inclusion of Cotabato City prevailed.

Iqbal believes Cotabato City would be the practical choice as seat of power as it is currently the center of communication to the ARMM. (Source: ABS-CBN News)