News Analysis

Historic vote for Filipino Muslims, but no guarantee of peace in troubled Mindanao

A Muslim woman casting her ballot at a voting station in Cotabato, Mindanao, on Jan 21, 2019. PHOTO: AFP
New: Gift this subscriber-only story to your friends and family

MANILA - On Jan 21, more than 1.5 million Filipino Muslims overwhelmingly voted for the creation of a new, self-administered region known as the Bangsamoro, or "nation of Moros", in the Philippines' troubled south.

The plebiscite to ratify the Bangsamoro law, which creates the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) by 2022, was held in the provinces of the old Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), and in the cities of Cotabato in Maguindanao province and Isabela in Sulu province.

Already a subscriber? 

Read the full story and more at $9.90/month

Get exclusive reports and insights with more than 500 subscriber-only articles every month

Unlock these benefits

  • All subscriber-only content on ST app and straitstimes.com

  • Easy access any time via ST app on 1 mobile device

  • E-paper with 2-week archive so you won't miss out on content that matters to you

Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.