Daily TribuneThe crux was Senate Concurrent Resolution 23, which would include 10 Embo barangays in the two legislative districts of Taguig and Pateros, bailiwicks of the Cayetanos, supposedly to prevent disenfranchising registered voters.
In the aftermath of the epic meltdown of Senator Alan Peter Cayetano at the Senate, during the exchange of apologies between him and colleague Migz Zubiri, Cayetano mentioned that, before rushing to the Senate to shove a concurrent resolution on the chamber, everyone in his family except him was agitated.
The senator mentioned the situation that resulted in the classic confrontation caught on video.
The crux was Senate Concurrent Resolution 23, which would include 10 Embo barangays in the two legislative districts of Taguig and Pateros, bailiwicks of the Cayetanos, to prevent disenfranchising registered voters.
In the resolution, Cayetano cited a Supreme Court decision declaring that the 10 Embo barangays — Pembo, Comembo, Cembo, South Cembo, West Rembo, East Rembo, Pitogo, Rizal, Post Proper Northside, and Post Proper Southside — belong to the City of Taguig “by legal right and historic title.”
The Comelec has declared that the residents of the Embos can vote for national positions and local positions such as mayor, vice mayor, and members of the city council, “but not for a congressional representative in the 2025 midterm elections in the absence of a congressional act designating the congressional districts to which the Embo barangays belong.”
The Senate resolution would be the legislative act to comply with the Comelec requirement.
Spilled during the argument with Zubiri was Cayetano’s claim that he did his colleague a similar favor in his bailiwick, Bukidnon. Cayetano, in bringing to the Senate his shameful carpet-bagging operations of the Embos, exposed maneuverings for the elections next year.
It bared the desperation of the feudal clan to get a firm grip on the prime district after kinks were shown in the armor of the Cayetanos following the landmark Supreme Court ruling in the fierce territorial battle between Makati and Taguig. The residents of the Embos have shown a strong leaning toward Makati.
Since gaining jurisdiction over the Embos, Taguig, through the Cayetanos, has staked a shaky claim of ownership over public properties in the barangays.
In the attempt to grab properties owned by Makati, Taguig has resorted to occupation not unlike what is happening in the West Philippine Sea dispute. Recently it undertook a hostile takeover of the Makati Park and Gardens.
Invoking regulatory powers, the Taguig local government issued a closure order against the park, located in West Rembo, on 3 March 2024 which was a Sunday. Taguig said the park, which sits on land awarded to Makati by the national government during the presidency of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, did not have a business permit.
Men in civilian clothes, wearing sunglasses and with half their faces covered by scarves, padlocked the gates of the park, trapping several Makati employees inside. These Makati employees sued city officials, including Taguig Mayor Lani Cayetano, for coercion and illegal detention but this was later dismissed by the court.
After locking the gates, around 100 personnel from the Taguig Traffic Management Office surrounded the park and blocked all entrances. The closure order came after Taguig personnel failed to occupy the park a few days earlier.
Taguig then invoked the welfare of Embo residents to justify the park’s closure with a promise to reopen the park under Taguig’s management. The reasoning did not sway the residents, who expressed dismay on social media.
The former Makati residents vented on social media, saying that instead of their desperate occupation blitz, the Taguig leadership should improve their spotty health services, especially for senior citizens.
Taguig also closed down the Makati Aqua Sports Arena, where swimming lessons for some 4,000 public school students are held.
While Taguig has prevailed in the SC ruling, it seems that Alan Peter is acting the part of a sore loser.
