Comelec: Embo barangay residents can vote in 2025 polls

HEALTH CONCERNS With the loss of their yellow card benefits, residents in the 10 “Embo” barangays now under Taguig City’s jurisdiction worry about their health-care needs. — MARIANNE BERMUDEZ

MANILA, Philippines — Residents of the 10 Enlisted Men’s Barrios (Embo) barangays, formerly under the jurisdiction of Makati City, will be able to vote in the 2025 polls except for the congressman position, Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman George Erwin Garcia announced on Tuesday.

These are barangays Pembo, Comembo, Cembo, South Cembo, West Rembo, East Rembo, Pitogo, Rizal, Northside, and Southside.

READ: Comelec transfers Embo barangays from Makati to Taguig for 2023 BSKE

“The 10 barangays now under the jurisdiction of  Taguig City can all vote for mayor, vice mayor, and city council. However, those residents of Makati City who have now become residents and voters of Taguig will not be able to vote for the position of congressman,” Garcia said in Filipino.

READ: Comelec releases schedule for 2025 elections

“Because currently, there is no status yet, there is no law that states that a new district is being created there in Taguig. At the same time, the Comelec cannot include our countrymen in the 10 barangays in one district because the result of that will be changing the existing law that we have,” he explained.

Garcia also said the three remaining barangays in the second district of Makati City—Guadalupe Viejo, Guadalupe Nuevo, and Pinagkaisahan—where the Embo barangays previously belonged will not be abolished.

“We cannot abolish the second district of Makati, so even if only three barangays remain there, it will still be a district,” he explained in Filipino.

The Comelec chief added that the decision was released “early” so that those who would wish to question it before the Supreme Court can now do so.

Garcia said the poll body hopes to finish printing ballots by the third or last week of December.