The Commission on Elections (Comelec) clarified on Tuesday that registered voters in 10 enlisted men’s barrio (EMBO) villages of Taguig City cannot vote for their congressional representative in the 2025 midterm elections.

Comelec chairperson George Erwin Garcia stressed that those residing in barangays Pembo, Comembo, Cembo, South Cembo, West Rembo, East Rembo, Pitogo, Rizal, Northside and Southside can only vote for national positions and local positions.

He disclosed that the poll body made the move as there should be a ruling for the proposal so that if questions may arise, the Comelec can answer it.

“We also need to prepare the ballot faces and precincts by November or December,” Garcia said, adding that they hope to have poll ballots printed by the third or last week of December.

Garcia also explained that there no law stating that the 10 villages belong to any of Taguig City’s two congressional districts.

“The Comelec cannot include these 10 barangays in one district because it would appear that we are changing the law. When the law was created, there were only two districts in Taguig and the barangays that are included in these districts are specified,” Garcia said.

‘The Commission believes that the power to create carries the power to abolish.’

He added that with the transfer of these villages to Taguig’s jurisdiction, Garcia said the second district of Makati is now only composed of three villages — Guadalupe Viejo, Guadalupe Nuevo and Pinagkaisahan.

However, the poll body chief stressed that there would be no changes for voters in Makati’s second district, which became fewer.

“The Commission believes that the power to create carries the power to abolish. Only Congress has power to abolish the legislative district of Makati, the original second district of Makati,” Garcia said.

To recall, the 10 villages were transferred to Taguig from Makati, after the Supreme Court in 2023 ruled that Taguig has jurisdiction over Fort Bonifacio and the EMBO villages.