Nelson Morales

Taguig court orders Makati local gov’t to turn over EMBO facilities

Article (news)

Job Manahan

ABS-CBN News

MANILA – The Regional Trial Court of Taguig has issued a 72-hour temporary restraining order (TRO) against the Makati local government, ordering the city to turn over the government-owned facilities in the “EMBO” barangays to Taguig. In its order dated May 5, 2025, the Taguig regional trial court directed the Makati local government to prohibit its officials, personnel, agents, and any person, authority on its behalf from denying access to and use of the subject EMBO properties.Several videos shown to ABS-CBN News by concerned citizens showed Taguig authorities opening some government properties around noon, shocking residents.Among the properties in question include health centers, covered courts, multi-purpose buildings, day care centers, parks, and other government properties for public use. <div>The TRO covers the following barangays, based on the order:</div>-Cembo-South Cembo-East Rembo-West Rembo-Pembo-Rizal -Pitogo-Comembo Makati government was also ordered from “interfering, preventing, or otherwise blocking plaintiff and its representatives from entering and taking full and exclusive possession thereof.”“Thus, with the final Decision dated 01 December 2021 in G.R. No. 235316, the local government concerned for whose benefit the properties have been allocated is plaintiff Taguig and not defendant Makati,” the document read.“It has been more than 2 years since defendant Makati definitively and with finality lost any legal right to continue to possess the properties subject herein and plaintiff unlawfully deprived thereof,” it added.The court said that while the government-owned properties in question were important for the delivery of basic services for EMBO residents, “obtaining possession thereof is a matter of extreme urgency.”Aside from this, the residents, the court said, would continue to “suffer grave injustice and irreparable injury” while the properties were excluded from EMBO villages.“The Court finds that plaintiff has sufficiently established extreme urgency for the present application, and that it stands to suffer grave injustice and irreparable injury without the injunctive relief prayed for,” the document read. <div>MAKATI SAYS DEVELOPMENT ‘UNFORTUNATE’</div> In a statement, Makati City Administrator Claro Certeza said the development was “unfortunate” and just showed that the Taguig leadership “does not care about the law” and the welfare of EMBO residents.Certeza said the Taguig court’s order “did not give Makati the opportunity to be heard.“Taguig had two years to improve the health services in the EMBOs. They had two years to build their own health centers. But they did not. Makati expressed willingness to sit down and have a dialogue with Taguig, but they refused,” said the official.“We reiterate, the Supreme Court decision was about jurisdiction, not ownership over lots. Hindi sinabi ng Korte Suprema na ang mga lupa at struktura na binili, tinayo at ginagamit ng Makati ay binibigay sa Taguig,” he added.Certeza vowed to avail of any legal remedies may it be criminal, civil, or administrative to hold Taguig’s leaders accountable.“Taguig has consistently invoked the Supreme Court decision to commit unlawful acts. This has to stop,” he said.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&#x27;s territorial jurisdiction falls under Taguig City. The Makati City government then filed an omnibus motion for reconsideration before the SC.But in a resolution in September 2022 and made public in April 2023, the High Court&#x27;s Special Third Division denied with finality Makati City&#x27;s motion for reconsideration, saying that the basic issues it raised had been resolved and &quot;duly considered&quot; by the court in its earlier decision.The city government of Taguig had earlier criticized Makati for stopping the operations of health centers and lying-in clinics in the 10 EMBO.The jurisdiction over these barangays were transferred to Taguig City from Makati City following decades of court battles that concluded at the Supreme Court.

The Regional Trial Court of Taguig has issued a 72-hour temporary restraining order (TRO) against the Makati local government, ordering the city to turn over the government-owned facilities in the “EMBO” barangays to Taguig.

The Regional Trial Court of Taguig has issued a 72-hour temporary restraining order (TRO) against the Makati local government, ordering the city to turn over the government-owned facilities in the “EMBO” barangays to Taguig.