Makati disputes Taguig claim on ‘embo’ barangay ambulances

Makati and Taguig maps. INQUIRER FILES

MANILA, Philippines — Makati City on Friday disputed the assertion of neighboring Taguig City about the seized ambulances in two “embo” villages previously under the former.

In a Facebook post on Feb. 11, Taguig City  said it replaced the  ambulances in Barangays Comembo and Rizal taken by the Makati city government.

Taguig further said that the ambulance of Barangay Comembo does not belong to Makati and issued by the Department of Health under its Health Facilities Enhancement Program.

Makati City Administrator Claro Certeza, however, pointe out that the DOH donated the ambulance to Makati City and not to Barangay Comembo.

“It was donated to the city government, so the rightful owner is Makati City,” Certeza said in a statement.

Certeza then noted  that the city cannot directly hand over to Taguig the vehicle since it has to be returned first to the DOH with a formal Notice of Revocation.

As for the ambulance in Barangay Rizal, Certeza explained that it has to be reassigned in Barangay Guadalupe Nuevo which is very near Ospital ng Makati.

“This decision was made out of necessity and prudence. Politics had nothing to do with it,” he said. (Barbara Gutierrez, INQUIRER.net intern)