Comelec allows voters in EMBO barangays to vote for House members

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) en banc has formally allowed voters in the 10 enlisted men's barrios (EMBO) barangays in Taguig to vote for district representatives in the House.

"Ngayong araw, nilabas ng Comelec en banc ang isang resolution kung saan pormal nating sinasabi na ang 10 barangays ng Taguig na galing sa Makati... ay opisyal nang makakaboto bilang botante hindi lang sa Sangguniang Panlungsod kundi pati na rin sa miyembro ng Mababang Kapulungan," Comelec chairman George Erwin Garcia said in a media briefing. 

(Today, the Comelec en banc released a resolution officially stating that the 10 barangays of Taguig from Makati may officially vote not just for the City Council but also for the members of the Lower House.)

"They can now vote for the members of the House of Representatives for the first and second districts... 'Yung concurrent resolution kinonfirm na namin na hindi lang makkakapag-file kundi makakaboto na sila. They will not be disenfranchised," he added.

(They can now vote for the members of the House of Representatives for the first and second districts...The concurrent resolution confirms that we have not only allowed them to file but also to vote. They will not be disenfranchised.)

Voters in the barangays were allowed to vote for mayor, vice mayor, party-list, senators, Sangguniang Panlungsod as Taguig City residents.

However, the Comelec in June said they may not be able to vote for a congressman in the 2025 May elections as they were not included in any legislative district.

Last week, the poll adopted Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 23 which assigned the 10 EMBO barangays in the first and second districts and increased the number of seats for the Sangguniang Panlungsod from eight to 12.

The poll body declared the following district assignments:

First Legislative District

• Comembo
• Pembo
• Rizal

Second Legislative District

• Cembo
• South Cembo
• East Rembo
• West Rembo
• Pitogo
• Post Proper Northside
• Post Proper Southside

“Although, Concurrent Resolution No. 26 is not a law, it is an expression of the sense of both Houses and deserves recognition and holds weight,” the Comelec resolution read.

“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 10 EMBO barangays, the indisputable conclusion is that the registered voters therein can vie for and be voted upon for local and national positions,” it added. —NB, GMA Integrated News