Makati City Mayor Abby Binay on Wednesday, June 26, could not hide her dismay over the Commission on Elections' (Comelec's) decision to prohibit residents of the 10 EMBO barangays, now under Taguig's jurisdiction, from voting for their representative in Congress.
Mayor Abby Binay
Binay made the statement a day after Comelec Chairman George Garcia announced that residents of the 10 EMBO barangays composed of Pembo, Comembo, Cembo, South Cembo, West Rembo, East Rembo, Pitogo, Rizal, Northside, and Southside, formerly all under the jurisdiction of Makati City, will be able to vote in the 2025 polls for local and national elective positions except for the House representative position.
Binay said both city councilors and members of Congress are elected by legislative districts.
"It seems that the poll body has forgotten that city councilors are elected by legislative district. If the EMBO residents can vote for city councilors, this means they are part of a legislative district. Then why can’t they vote for their congressional representative?," Binay said.
Comelec justified its decision, saying that it does not know in which of Taguig’s two legislative districts do EMBO residents belong. The EMBO barangays were part of Makati’s second district before the Supreme Court (SC) said they are part of Taguig.
“The right to be represented in Congress is a basic principle in a democracy. The decision denies the EMBO residents of this right," Binay stressed.
“Nawalan na nga ng benepisyo mula sa Makati, inalisan pa sila ng karapatang bumoto ng kanilang kinatawan sa Kongreso (Not only have they lost the benefits they were previously receiving from Makati, they have also been deprived of their right to vote for their representative in Congress)," she added.
The mayor also urged Taguig to fight for the right of EMBO residents to vote for their congressional representative.
“To simply accept the Comelec decision is to sustain an injustice and be a party to the derogation of their rights as citizens. Dapat ipagtanggol ang kanilang karapatan. Kung hindi ito gagawin ng pamunuan ng Taguig, bahagi sila sa pagkitil sa karapatan ng mga taga-EMBO (To simply accept the Comelec decision is to sustain an injustice and be a party to the derogation of their rights as citizens. Their rights must be defended and protected. If the city government of Taguig won't do it, they would become a part in the suppression of the rights of EMBO residents)," Binay noted.