The 208,000 registered voters in the 10 Enlisted Men's Barrios (EMBO) barangays will be able to vote for their councilors in the May 2025 elections.
However, those in the EMBO barangays are still unable to vote for their congressmen, as the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) is still deliberating on the matter.
On Thursday, September 26, 2024, COMELEC approved the inclusion of the 10 EMBO barangays, recently acquired by Taguig City from Makati City, into the two districts of Taguig. They will now be able to select 12 councilors in each district, up from the previous eight.
Under COMELEC Resolution No. 11069, voters from the barangays of Comembo, Pembo, and Rizal have been assigned to the first district of Taguig.
Meanwhile, voters from the Cembo, South Cembo, East Rembo, West Rembo, Pitogo, Post Proper Northside, and Post Proper Southside barangays have been placed under the jurisdiction of Taguig's second district.
The COMELEC en banc resolution favored the recommendation of the Election Records and Statistics Department and the Office of the Deputy Executive Director for Operations to approve Taguig City's Ordinance No. 144, passed to allow voters in EMBO barangays to choose their representatives in Congress and the city council.
According to a statement by COMELEC: "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."
However, a joint resolution from Congress and the Senate is still needed for the city ordinance to take effect. Until that is achieved, EMBO voters are still without a congressman of their choosing.
COMELEC stated that only Congress has the authority to decide which barangays should be included in a legislative district.
The Senate approved Concurrent Resolution Number 23 on Tuesday night, and Congress approved Concurrent Resolution Number 37 on Wednesday night. Both resolutions adopted City Ordinance Number 144, which includes the 10 EMBO barangays in the two congressional districts of Taguig, allowing them to vote for their congressmen in the Lower House of Congress.
COMELEC Chairman George Garcia said they have just received copies of the concurrent resolutions from the Lower and Upper Houses of Congress and will examine their legal implications.
COMELEC will issue a new resolution to formally allow the voters in the EMBO barangays to vote for their congressmen.