The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is planning to simulate the plebiscite for the Bangsamoro Organic Law in October ahead of its conduct on January 21.

In a press briefing Friday, COMELEC Spokesman James Jimenez said they are looking to conduct the simulation in the second week of October.

“We are planning to conduct a simulation of voting in the BOL. We are in the early stages of planning for that. But that is something that we intend to do,” said Jimenez.

Jimenez said they are deciding the venue for the simulation, including holding it at the Comelec main office at the Palacio del Gobernador building in Intramuros, Manila.

He said the activity may coincide with the filing of Certificates of Candidacy (COCs) for the May 2019 polls.

“For now, we are still discussing whether to hold the simulation here or find another venue because the tentative window sort of coincides with the COC filing,” said Jimenez.

The simulation, said Jimenez, is necessary since there will be several types and sizes of ballots to be used during the plebiscite.

“We intend to conduct simulation, among other reasons, is because there will be many different kinds of ballots. We will not just be using one kind of ballot,” said Jimenez.

“We need to simulate because we want to see how usable those ballots are,” he added.

Based on the proposed Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao, being eyed for inclusion are the provinces under the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, which are Basilan, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi.

Also being eyed for inclusion in the would-be region are 39 barangays in North Cotabato, six municipalities in Lanao del Norte, and the cities of Cotabato in Maguindanao, and Isabela in Basilan.

Under the law, only a favorable result of the plebiscite, both for the areas proposed for inclusion as well as their mother units, shall result to their inclusion to the new region. DMS