MANILA — Transition teams have been activated in Makati and Taguig for the upcoming barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections (BSKE) this October, the interior department said on Wednesday.

• Comelec needs SC guidance for Makati, Taguig barangay, SK polls

This comes after the Commission on Elections (Comelec) this week said it needs a copy of the Supreme Court decision regarding the territorial row between Makati and Taguig to finalize preparations for the BSKE.

Comelec said it would also need to coordinate with the Department of Education (DepEd) regarding schools that will be used for the BSKE.

But Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos said the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) is already working with the Comelec to prepare for the local elections on Oct. 30, 2023 and to include Taguig's new barangays.

Based on the Supreme Court decision, the Fort Bonifacio Military Reservation, consisting of Parcels 3 and 4, Psu-2031, are part of Taguig City and not Makati. This includes 10 villages.

"While awaiting further instructions from the Court, Abalos said the DILG had already activated transition teams to deal with the territorial change," the DILG said in a statement.

"Comelec Chairman George Garcia and I agree that it’s imperative to take action because there’s not much time left before the elections. We respect the Supreme Court’s definition of the cities’ territorial boundaries and are coordinating accordingly," Abalos said.

The High Court's decision has also led the DILG to coordinate with the heads of the Philippine National Police (PNP), Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) and Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) "to revise the areas of responsibility and reporting lines of their affected local offices, in light of the decided boundaries."

The interior chief said the transition and preparations would so far cover "territorial supervision" and not the properties involved.

“As for specific rights or obligations over affected property, these will be dealt with in accordance with the procedure provided by law. We will also respect any further court orders in this regard," said Abalos.

The debate of the Taguig and Makati on the property transfer has already been raised to some courts and offices, with the latter accusing the former of even "forcibly taking over" some schools over the weekend.

• It's final: Supreme Court says Taguig has jurisdiction over BGC

For decades, Taguig City and Makati City have been at odds over the ownership of the disputed properties, as well as the renowned financial district BGC, also known as Fort Bonifacio or The Fort.

Following battles in lower courts which started in 1993, the Supreme Court in December 2021 ruled that the area's territorial jurisdiction falls under Taguig City. The Makati City government then filed an omnibus motion for reconsideration before the SC.

• Makati-Taguig school row an issue of ownership: Binay

But in a resolution in September last year but only made public in April, the High Court's Special Third Division denied with finality Makati City's motion for reconsideration, saying that the basic issues it raised had been resolved and "duly considered" by the court in its earlier decision.

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