View of Marawi City’s former main battle area, now called the most affected area, on October 15, 2022. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News/File
MANILA — The Commission on Elections forecast a high voter turnout in the ongoing plebiscite Saturday to ratify the creation of two barangays in Marawi City.
"Mataas po ang nakikita naming voter turnout," Comelec spokesperson John Rex Laudiangco told ABS-CBN's TeleRadyo, adding that the voting situation in the city was orderly.
Marawi residents will decide whether or not they are in favor of the creation of Barangay Boganga II and Barangay Datu Dalidigan, following the increase of internally displaced persons (IDPs) there.
"Target nito para magkaroon ng permanent local government unit 'yung mga nadagdag na tao dito sa ating dalawang barangay," said the poll body's spokesperson.
The manual voting opened at 7 a.m. and will close at 3 p.m.
Saturday's plebiscite is the first exclusive local electoral exercise in Marawi, Laudiangco said.
Local and foreign pro-Islamic State allies seized the center of Marawi in May 2017, sparking a five-month battle that destroyed much of the city and left more than a thousand people dead.
The city was later recaptured by Philippine forces with intelligence assistance from the US military.