MIDTERM ELECTIONS Qualified “Embo” voters get to elect their choices to the Taguig City Council but not their representatives to the lower chamber of Congress. —INQUIRER PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — Over 208,000 registered voters in the 10 Enlisted Men’s Barrios or “Embo” barangays, which were recently transferred to the territorial jurisdiction of Taguig, will now be able to pick their city councilors in the 2025 midterm elections.
In addition, they will be choosing 12 councilors each, up from the previous eight. However, they are still barred from voting for their district representative.
This was after the Commission on Elections (Comelec) approved on Thursday the inclusion of the 10 Embo barangays—that were previously under Makati City—in Taguig’s two districts.
READ: Comelec: Embo barangay residents can vote in 2025 polls
READ: Cayetano, Zubiri trade barbs over reso on Embo barangays
Under Comelec Resolution No. 11069, voters in Barangays Comembo, Pembo and Rizal were assigned to Taguig’s first district. On the other hand, voters in Cembo, South Cembo, East Rembo, West Rembo, Pitogo, Post Proper Northside and Post Proper Southside will be under the jurisdiction of the second district.
The Comelec en banc resolution adopted the recommendations of its Election Records and Statistics Department and Office of the Deputy Executive Director for Operations to “favorably consider” Ordinance No. 144 of Taguig City, which was passed to allow registered Embo voters to elect members to the House of Representatives and the city council.
“The Sangguniang Panlungsod [of Taguig] did not violate the constitutional proscription that only Congress can create legislative districts. These two legislative and councilor districts are already existing and there are no new or additional districts created,” the poll body said.
Joint resolution needed
But until both the House and Senate pass a joint resolution adopting the said city ordinance, Embo voters will still be unable to pick their respective district representatives in the lower chamber.
The Comelec has maintained that only Congress has the authority to say which barangays should be included in a legislative district.
Unlike other local government units, Taguig’s councilor districts are distinct from its legislative districts. Taguig’s first legislative district includes the barangays in the municipality of Pateros, as well as the 15 eastern barangays (which comprise the first councilor district), while the second legislative district consists of the 13 western barangays of the city (which make up the second councilor district).
The Senate approved Concurrent Resolution No. 23 on Tuesday night, while the House of Representatives approved Concurrent Resolution No. 37 on Wednesday night.
The concurrent resolutions adopt City Ordinance No. 144, including the 10 Embo barangays in the two congressional districts of Taguig, allowing them to vote for their respective congressmen in the Lower House.
In a statement, Taguig Mayor Lani Cayetano thanked both the Senate and the House for their support in passing the concurrent resolution. She said this “ensures fair representation and protects the voting rights of the 10 Embo barangays.”
Comelec chair George Garcia said they just received on Thursday copies of the House and Senate concurrent resolutions and would study their legal implications.
The Comelec is set to issue another resolution formally allowing the voters of the Embo barangays to vote for their congressional district representative.