Japan sent monitoring mission for BOL plebiscite

January 28, 2019

Japan, on January 21, dispatched a monitoring team to Cotabato City as international observers of the first plebiscite for the ratification of the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL), a press statement from the Embassy of Japan said Monday,.  

The mission, headed by Norikazu Suzuki, Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs, had a total of 13 members representing the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, the Office of the Cabinet Secretariat of the International Peace Cooperation Headquarters, and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

On the plebiscite day, the team visited Sero Central Elementary School in Cotabato City and observed the opening of the voting precinct, voting by registered voters and counting of the votes, and the canvassing of votes by the Cotabato City plebiscite board of canvassers. 

Suzuki said he was very impressed by the passion of the voters who cared about the future of their region, and praised the dedication of public school teachers who conducted the procedure impartially with a firm attitude.

On January 22, Suzuki and the mission met with Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Galvez and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) chairman Al Haj-Murad.

Suzuki explained that Japan dispatched this plebiscite monitoring mission as a partner of the Philippines, with whom it has stood shoulder-to-shoulder for more than 10 years in the Mindanao peace process. He assured that Japan will strengthen its support according to the progress of the peace process, and underscored the importance of the smooth implementation of the decommissioning of MILF combatants. 

Galvez and Murad both expressed their gratitude for the support and assistance from Japan, their expectations for the continuing warm relations between the two countries, and their firm resolve to implement the peace process. DMS