The Palace commended the successful conduct of the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) plebiscite despite the explosions that rocked Lanao del Norte on the eve of the vote for the inclusion of six towns of the province in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, the Palace said.

No amount of “terrorist attack” will stop the people from having their voice be heard, according to presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo, as voters trooped to polling precincts in the second plebiscite for the ratification of the BOL.

“We assure the electorate in that part of Mindanao that the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has provided safeguards for their safety and will be on full alert to thwart any attempt from any armed group or terrorists to derail the democratic process,” Panelo said in a statement.

Coming on the heels of the twin blasts that killed 22 people and injured more than a hundred at a Catholic church in Jolo, Sulu and the bombing at a mosque that left four people dead in Zamboanga, three explosions happened in Lanao del Norte last Tuesday.

The first blast occurred in Barangay Maranding in Lala town while the other occurred at the back of the municipal hall in Kauswagan town past 4 p.m. A third explosion in Sultan Naga Dimaporo happened shortly thereafter.

Initial investigations bared the triple blasts were meant to create panic ahead of the second BOL plebiscite.

“The explosions on the eve of the BOL plebiscite stem from acts of cowardice on the part of those who resist change and want to perpetuate the climate of fear, hopelessness and poverty among the Bangsamoro people and the Christian inhabitants in Mindanao,” Panelo said.

“The road to lasting peace in that region is not without obstacles strewn by those who foment disunity and who purvey the status quo. We shall not be waylaid by the twin forces of obstruction and destruction,” the official added.

He likewise stressed the recent spate of bombings in the region makes martial law all the more needed in Mindanao.

Members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), which will have a huge role in the autonomous Bangsamoro region, were spotted in the province and neighboring North Cotabato that has 67 barangays seeking to join the new region.

Prior to the plebiscite, additional security troops were deployed in Lanao del Norte and North Cotabato where some 700,000 voters were set to join the plebiscite according to Commission on Elections (Comelec) spokesman James Jimenez.

Jimenez said MILF members in the area were unarmed “for the most part” and do not appear to be fighting forces and noted that all teachers supposed to man the plebiscite also showed up despite reports that some were terrified by Tuesday’s blasts.

“We hope that the people will still vote,” said Jimenez in a radio interview.

Meanwhile, the police and military have yet to identify the possible motive in the bombings in Kauswagan, Sultan Naga de Maporo and Lala towns. While it did not cause any fatalities, security was heightened in the area.

Kauswagan Mayor Rommel Arnado said the latest blasts may have been aimed at scaring voters, many of whom supposedly oppose the MILF after previous attacks in the south.

The MILF, whose 2014 deal with the government led to the Bangsamoro’s creation, denied the accusation coming mainly from Cotabato City Mayor Cynthia Guiani-Sayadi.

The Bangsamoro will get P50 billion in development funds over the next 10 years, as well as a chunk of the tax revenue generated within its borders.

The national government will keep control over the police, though the leadership of the autonomous area will be closely involved in security matters.

Following the “double-majority” rule, Lanao del Norte will have to consent to the inclusion of the municipalities of Baloi, Munai, Nunungan, Pantar, Tagoloan and Tangkal in the new region.

The 67 barangays in North Cotabato will also need the majority vote from the seven towns covering them, namely, Aleosan, Carmen, Kabacan, Midsayap, Pigkawayan, Pikit and Tulunan.

The second round of the plebiscite ran smoothly, the Comelec said.

Unlike the first round where the opening of some precincts were delayed, all polling stations opened on time.