MALACAÑANG on Tuesday, January 22, took a swipe at communist founder Jose Maria Sison for his "delusional" claim that the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) will be ratified because of President Rodrigo Duterte's influence and massive vote-buying.
In a statement, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said Sison was obviously "talking nonsense," since the latter has no idea about the BOL's ratification.
"Communist Party of the Philippines founding chairperson Jose Ma. Sison is once again talking nonsense by engaging in a delusional analysis on a political event that further exposes his blissful ignorance," the Palace official said.
"We are amazed at how the media is giving his obnoxious rantings such undeserved attention when they litter the news with vexing irrelevance," he added.
Panelo issued the statement after Sison predicted that the BOL, which creates a new Bangsamoro region to give Muslim minority greater autonomy, would be ratified in the plebiscite because of Duterte's coercive influence.
On Monday, January 21, Sison claimed there was no doubt that the majority of people would vote in favor of the Bangsamoro law because the President has control over the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and placing the Philippine National Police (PNP) in the so-called hot spots.
"It is highly probable that the yes vote will win in the plebiscite on BOL because of the advantageous position of Duterte due to the suasive force and effect of martial law, control of the Comelec and putting the PNP in charge of voting in so-called trouble spots," sison said.
The communist leader founder alleged that the expected win of BOL in the plebiscite would be influenced by supposed vote-buying was at "P200 per vote and P1,000 for each buying agent, and payments in the millions to Comelec officials, certain governors, congressmen, and mayors."
The BOL creates the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (Barmm), which will replace the current Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (Armm).
Residents of the Armm, Cotabato City and Isabela City voted on Monday, January 21, whether to ratify the BOL.
Meantime, residents of Lanao del Norte, except Iligan City, and six towns in Cotabato province will decide on February 6 whether they will approve the Barmm.
The BOL's ratification is the final step in the peace deal signed in 2014 by the National Government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.
The law aims to end decades-long conflict in Mindanao and bring development to the besieged region.
Panelo countered Sison's allegations against Duterte, saying the Bangsamoro law would be ratified because people believed that it would grant them greater control over the region.
"The voters will ratify the BOL, as we hope and expect, not because of vote buying and presidential coercive influence, as falsely claimed by Sison, but due to the electorate's belief that its ratification will yield the long desired growth and development that remain elusive in Mindanao," he said.
Panelo also took note of the Social Weather Stations' December 16 to 19 poll, which showed that 79 percent of Muslims nationwide favor the approval of the BOL.
He said the survey results merely indicated that the Bangsamoro people are longing for peace and progress in Mindanao.
"The Bangsamoro people have enough of war, terrorism and poverty. They hunger for peace and thirst for development in Mindanao," the Palace official said.
"The initial unofficial tally of the votes in the plebiscite appears to validate the survey results. We hope that the aspiration of our Muslim brothers and sisters for a peaceful and progressive Bangsamoro region will commence its realization following the ratification of the BOL," he added. (SunStar Philippines)