Makati City Mayor Abby Binay speaks to the audience during the Brigada Eskwela Kickoff inside the Comembo Elementary School in Makati on August 10, 2022. George Calvelo, ABS-CBN News/FileMANILA — Makati City Mayor Abby Binay on Wednesday slammed the Commission on Elections (Comelec) for ruling that residents of the 10 "EMBO" barangays, previously under Makati, cannot vote for House representatives in the 2025 elections.

• 'Embo' residents can't vote for House rep in 2025: Comelec

The Supreme Court has ruled that Taguig has jurisdiction over the barangays of Pembo, Comembo, Cembo, South Cembo, West Rembo, East Rembo, Pitogo, Northside, Southside, and Rizal.

• 23 Makati barangays gain from city's loss of Embo areas

On Tuesday, Comelec Chairman George Garcia announced that the en banc has ruled that EMBO residents cannot vote for House representatives without a law identifying which district they belong to.

Garcia  clarified that EMBO voters can still vote for national, mayoralty, vice mayoralty and city council candidates.

But Binay argued that both city councilors and members of Congress are elected by legislative districts.

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"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.

The 10 EMBO barangays were part of Makati’s second district before the Supreme Court said they are part of Taguig.

Binay expressed disappointment at the Comelec decision.

“The right to be represented in Congress is a basic principle in a democracy. The decision denies the EMBO residents of this right," she said.

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Binay said Taguig should "fight for the right" of EMBO residents to vote for their congressional representative.

"If the Taguig leadership won't do it, they would be complicit in the  suppression of the rights of EMBO residents," Binay said.

Garcia earlier said they made the ruling so that concerned parties can question its legality and settle the matter before the 2025 elections. 

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