The 1989 Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao creation plebiscite was a creation plebiscite held on November 17, 1989, in parts of

Mindanao Mindanao ( ) is the List of islands of the Philippines, second-largest island in the Philippines, after Luzon, and List of islands by population, seventh-most populous island in the world. Located in the southern region of the archipelago, the ...

and

Palawan Palawan (, ), officially the Province of Palawan (; ), is an archipelagic province of the Philippines that is located in the region of Mimaropa. It is the largest province in the country in terms of total area of . The capital and largest c ...

in the

Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...

Background

Upon the installation of President

Corazon Aquino María Corazón "Cory" Sumulong Cojuangco-Aquino (; January 25, 1933 – August 1, 2009) was a Filipino politician who served as the 11th president of the Philippines and the first woman president in the country, from Presidency of Corazon ...

following the 1986 People Power Revolution which deposed

Ferdinand Marcos Ferdinand Emmanuel Edralin Marcos Sr. (September 11, 1917 – September 28, 1989) was a Filipino lawyer, politician, dictator, and Kleptocracy, kleptocrat who served as the tenth president of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986. He ruled the c ...

, the

Moro National Liberation Front The Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF; ) is a political organization in the Philippines that was founded in 1972. It started as a splinter group of the Muslim Independence Movement. The MNLF was the organization most active in the Moro conf ...

(MNLF) held negotiations in with the Aquino administration in

Jeddah Jeddah ( ), alternatively transliterated as Jedda, Jiddah or Jidda ( ; , ), is a List of governorates of Saudi Arabia, governorate and the largest city in Mecca Province, Saudi Arabia, and the country's second largest city after Riyadh, located ...

. The MNLF pushed for the government for the outright establishment of an autonomous region in

as per the 1976 Tripoli Agreement through an executive order; a demand which the government did not accept. The 1987

Constitution of the Philippines The Constitution of the Philippines (Filipino language, Filipino: ''Saligang Batas ng Pilipinas'' or ''Konstitusyon ng Pilipinas'') is the Constitution, supreme law of the Philippines. Its final draft was completed by the Philippine Constitution ...

adopted during Aquino's presidency allows for the creation of an autonomous region in "Muslim

". Republic Act No. 6734 or the Organic Act which proposed for the creation of such region called the

Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao The Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (; ''Al-ḥukm adh-dhātī al-'iqlīmī li-muslimī Mindanāu''; ARMM) was an Autonomous regions of the Philippines, autonomous region of the Philippines, located in the Mindanao Island groups of the P ...

(ARMM) was signed into law on August 1, 1989, by President

but had to be ratified through a plebiscite which was held on November 17, 1989. Both the MNLF, and its splinter group the

Moro Islamic Liberation Front The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF; ) is an Islamist group based in Mindanao, Philippines, which sought an autonomous region of the Moro people from the central government. The group has a presence in the Bangsamoro region of Mindanao, t ...

, boycotted the vote.

Results

Rules

The plebiscite is conducted on a per-province and per-city basis. * If there are more votes for autonomy in a province, that province becomes a part of the autonomous region. * If there are more votes for autonomy in a city, that city becomes a part of the autonomous region, regardless if how its mother province votes. * If there are more votes against autonomy in a municipality, but its mother province votes in favor, that municipality still becomes a part of the autonomous region * If there are more votes for autonomy in a municipality, but its mother province votes against, that municipality does not become a part of the autonomous region

Summary

Only four provinces namely

Lanao del Sur Lanao del Sur (; Meranaw and ; Jawi ''(Batang Arab)'': ), officially the Province of Lanao del Sur, is a province in the Philippines located in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). The capital is the city of Marawi (th ...

Maguindanao Maguindanao (; Maguindanaon: ''Dairat nu Magindanaw''; Iranun: ''Perobinsia a Magindanao''; ) was a province of the Philippines located in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). From 2014 to 2022, its provincial capital ...

Sulu Sulu (), officially the Province of Sulu (Tausug language, Tausūg: ''Wilaya' sin Lupa' Sūg''; ), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province of the Philippines in the Sulu Archipelago. It was part of the Bangsamoro, Bangsamoro Autonomous R ...

and Tawi-Tawi opted to be included in the newly formed ARMM. The Muslim-majority province of

Basilan Basilan, officially the Province of Basilan (; ; ; ), is an island province of the Philippines located primarily in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region. Basilan Island is the largest and northernmost of the major islands of the Sulu Archipelago ...

and the city of

Marawi Marawi, officially the Islamic City of Marawi (Maranao language, Maranao: ''Bandar a Marawi''; ; Jawi script, Jawi ''(Batang Arab)'': ), is a Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, component city and capital of the Provinces of the ...

notably voted against its inclusion to the ARMM. Elections for the first set of regional officials were held in February 1990. The following are the results for the province and city. 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. The new autonomous region was inaugurated on November 6, 1990. The region would be expanded following a second plebiscite in 2001.

References

External links

Republic Act No. 6734
{{DEFAULTSORT:Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao plebiscite, 1989 1989 in the Philippines Regional plebiscites in the Philippines 1989 referendums Presidency of Corazon Aquino Autonomy referendums 20th century in Bangsamoro