1989 Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao creation plebiscite

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1989 Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao creation plebiscite
November 17, 1989

Outcome

1989 Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao creation plebiscite.svg
Results by locality
  Yes  No

The 1989 Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao creation plebiscite was a creation plebiscite held on November 17, 1989, in parts of Mindanao and Palawan in the Philippines.

Contents

Background

Upon the installation of President Corazon Aquino following the 1986 People Power Revolution which deposed Ferdinand Marcos, the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) held negotiations in with the Aquino administration in Jeddah. The MNLF pushed for the government for the outright establishment of an autonomous region in Mindanao as per the 1976 Tripoli Agreement through an executive order; a demand which the government did not accept. [1]

The 1987 Constitution of the Philippines adopted during Aquino's presidency allows for the creation of an autonomous region in "Muslim Mindanao". [2] Republic Act No. 6734 or the Organic Act which proposed for the creation of such region called the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) was signed into law on August 1, 1989, by President Corazon Aquino [3] [4] but had to be ratified through a plebiscite which was held on November 17, 1989. [2]

Both the MNLF, and its splinter group the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, boycotted the vote. [3]

Results

Rules

The plebiscite is conducted in a per province and per city basis.

Summary

Only four provinces namely Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi opted to be included in the newly formed ARMM. [1] The Muslim-majority province of Basilan and the city of Marawi in Lanao del Sur notably voted against its inclusion to the ARMM. [5] Elections for the first set of regional officials were held in February 1990. [1]

The following are the results per province and city.

Summary of results [6] [7]
LocalityFor autonomyAgainst autonomyTurnoutRegistered
voters
Included?
Total%Total%Total%
Basilan 20,92436.57%36,28663.43%57,21055.40%103,272No
Cotabato 26,73418.92%114,56881.08%141,30250.35%280,624No
Cotabato City 12,9869.56%122,85190.44%135,83755.00%246,979No
Davao del Sur 46,89237.95%76,68262.05%123,57470.31%175,751No
Dapitan 4622.34%19,30797.66%19,76969.63%28,392No
Dipolog 8453.40%24,00996.60%24,85462.87%39,532No
General Santos 8,22319.67%33,57780.33%41,80040.37%103,549No
Iligan 2,0443.19%61,98396.81%64,02759.05%108,432No
Lanao del Norte 46,89237.95%76,68262.05%123,57470.31%175,751No
Lanao del Sur 125,33874.08%43,85525.92%169,19371.37%237,076Yes
Maguindanao 76,71762.68%45,67037.32%122,38745.70%267,824Yes
Marawi 10,39946.01%12,20453.99%22,60356.13%40,269No
Pagadian 4,77419.15%20,14980.85%24,92350.67%49,188No
Palawan 8,1629.09%81,61790.91%89,77954.48%164,789No
Puerto Princesa 3,28314.23%19,79685.77%23,07951.11%45,155No
South Cotabato 26,19815.87%138,84184.13%165,03952.22%316,043No
Sultan Kudarat 5,6017.33%70,82792.67%76,42849.76%153,589No
Sulu 99,91173.92%35,24526.08%135,15657.96%233,181Yes
Tawi-Tawi 40,59672.86%15,12527.14%55,72156.26%99,039Yes
Zamboanga del Norte 5,8724.12%136,76695.88%142,63853.58%266,191No
Zamboanga del Sur 14,5436.43%211,78293.57%226,32555.83%405,392No
Zamboanga City 5,2995.55%90,15294.45%95,45153.77%177,533No
Turnout1,968,90054.69%3,599,984

Of the 3.5 million registered voters, 55.31% turned out and voted. 72% of those who voted rejected autonomy. In Christian areas, autonomy was rejected in 40-to-1 margins. [6]

The new autonomous region was inaugurated on November 6, 1990. [3] The region would be expanded following a second plebiscite in 2001.

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References

  1. 1 2 3 Rivera, Temario C. (1996). State of the Nation: Philippines. Institute of Southeast Asian. pp. 39–40. ISBN   978-981-3055-34-6.
  2. 1 2 "Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao" (PDF). Department of Budget and Management. Retrieved June 18, 2022.
  3. 1 2 3 Inquirer, Philippine Daily (January 26, 2014). "What Went Before: Peace talks with the MILF". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved June 18, 2022.
  4. "Republic Act No. 6734". Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines. Retrieved June 18, 2022.
  5. McKenna, Thomas. "The Origins of the Muslim Separatist Movement in the Philippines". Asia Society. Retrieved June 18, 2022.
  6. 1 2 "Organization woes bug autonomy". news.google.com. November 25, 1989. Retrieved July 9, 2023.
  7. "ANGAY-ANGAY LANG: Kalinaw Mindanaw: The Story of the GRP-MNLF Peace Process, 1975-1996 (12)". www.mindanews.com. November 19, 2020. Retrieved September 8, 2023.