10 Embo barangays can now vote for district representatives – Comelec

MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) announced on Wednesday that the 10 Embo (enlisted men’s barrios) barangays in Taguig City can now vote for the representatives of their respective districts in the 2025 midterm elections.

According to Comelec Chairman George Garcia, the poll body does not want the 10 Embo barangay voters disenfranchised for missing the right to vote for their respective congressmen.

“Ngayong araw na ito nilabas ng Commission en banc ang isang resolusyon kung saan opisyal at pormal nating sinasabi na ang sampung barangays ng Taguig na nanggaling sa Makati City, tatlo sa first district, pito sa second district ay opisyal nang makakaboto bilang botante ng mga distrito na ito hindi lang ng sa sangguniang panlungsod kung hindi sa myembro ng mababang kapulungan,” Garcia said in a press briefing at the second day of filing of certificate of candidacy (COC) for the 2025 midterm elections at the Manila Hotel Tent.

(Today, Commission en banc released a resolution where we officially and formally declare that the 10 barangays in Taguig that were originally from Makati City, three in the first district and seven in the second district, can now vote in their districts not just in the city government but also for the members of the lower chamber.)

“They will not be disenfranchised. ‘Yon po ang pangunahing rason ng Commission en banc kung bakit natin pinapayagan na makaboto sila para sa dalawang distrito,” Garcia added.

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(They will not be disenfranchised. That is the main reason of the Commission en banc in allowing them to vote in the two districts.)

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This came after the poll body decided to adopt the Concurrent Resolution No. 26 by the Senate and the House of Representatives to include the 10 Embo barangays in the two legislative districts and to increase the number of councilors in each district from eight to twelve.

READ: Comelec adopts Taguig ordinance on Embo barangays

“Thus, there being a consensus among the Local Government Unit, the Senate, the House of Representatives and the Commission, coupled with constitutional guarantee to the primordial right of suffrage of the registered voters of the ten (10) EMBO barangays, the indisputable conclusion is that the registered voters therein can VIE FOR and BE VOTED UPON for local and national positions,” Comelec resolution on the Congress’ concurrent resolution read.

Garcia noted that while the resolution is not a law, the ordinance of Taguig City that is the same with the concurrent resolution of Congress gives a “lot of weight” to the Comelec in dispensing the administrative function.

The poll body chief also said that the decision is already applicable in the 2025 elections and the upcoming polls if there will be no law creating a third district in Taguig City.

Likewise, Garcia explained that the memorandum that they released last Friday about Senate Concurrent Resolution no. 23 affirms its purpose for the filing of COC.

“Sinabi namin as a matter of fact, noted namin yun and at least for the purpose of at least the filing of candidacy, sinabi namin na first district, yung tatlong barangay, second district, yung pitong barangay,” he said.

(We said, as a matter of fact, we noted that and at least for the purpose of the filing of candidacy, we said that in the three barangays are in the first district, while the seven barangays are in the second district.)

“So that naanticipate namin kung may magfile, saan magfile ng certificate of candidacy yung isa sa mga nasa sampung barangay,” he added.

“So we anticipate that if someone files [COC], they can locate where they will file their certificate of candidacy in the ten barangays.)

The inclusion of the 10 barangays in the first and second districts:

First Legislative and Councilor District:

1. Comembo;
2. Pembo; and
3. Rizal

Second Legislative and Councilor District:

1. Cembo;
2. South Cembo;
3. East Cembo;
4. West Rembo;
5. Pitogo;
6. Post Proper Northside; and
7. Post Proper Southside

READ: Comelec: Embo barangay residents can vote in 2025 polls

Comelec previously ruled that residents from the Embo barangays can now vote in the 2025 polls, except for the position of congressmen since there was no law creating a new district in Taguig.