To show their opposition to their transfer from Makati City to Taguig City, residents of the so-called Enlisted Men’s Barrio, or EMBO, started yesterday a signature campaign.
The movers behind the signature campaign said they want to exercise their right under the concept of people’s initiative.
Residents of Barangay East Rembo, one of the 10 barangays that the Supreme Court determined to be under Taguig City’s jurisdiction, began their signature drive as early as 7 a.m. in an effort to meet the three percent requirement.
A resident said they support the campaign started by concerned local and non-governmental organizations in their barangay to demonstrate that they are unwilling to move to another city.
Senior citizens from the barangay, which has a population of more than 26,000, also voiced their opposition to the transfer under a final and executory Supreme Court order.
The seniors said they are afraid the benefits they are getting from Makati City will not be provided by Taguig City.
The city government of Makati has boasted of providing free medicines, particularly maintenance medicine, to senior citizens as provided for in their yellow card program.
The yellow card is a health card that can be used to get medical services from health centers, and the Ospital ng Makati.
Students in Makati also get free uniforms, bags, books, socks, shoes, and others from the city government.
The signature campaign, once it reaches the three percent threshold, will be filed before the Commission on Elections, calling for a plebiscite so the people can vote if they want to become Taguig residents or not.
The initiative will be conducted simultaneously in the affected barangays, as residents have the general sentiment of not agreeing to be under another city administration.
A lawyer who declined to be named said the first such initiative was conducted in Barangay Milograsa in Quezon City to take out informal settlers in the area.
He said the initiative is provided for under Republic Act 6735, which says: “Initiative is the power of the people to propose amendments to the Constitution or to propose and enact legislation through an election called for the purpose.”
Earlier, Makati City Mayor Abby Binay stressed that she will not transfer the territory given by the Supreme Court to Taguig City if they do not have in their possession the writ of execution from the court of origin.
Binay’s statements came after the insistence of the city government of Taguig that it will now get the territory following the end of the 30-year legal battle over the 10 barangays of the second congressional district of Makati City.
“As long as they have not presented the writ of execution and only the judgment, we will not transfer. They should get the writ from the court of origin,” Binay said.