ON the heels of the petition of poll lawyer Romulo Macalintal at the Supreme Court (SC), the Commission on Elections (Comelec) has amended its rule on appointed public officials who will be nominated as party-list representatives in the May 2025 polls.

In its Resolution No. 11065, the Comelec en banc said appointed officials, including active members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and other officers and employees in the government-owned or controlled corporations, who will accept nominations to represent a party-list group “shall be considered resigned from his/her office… upon the start of the campaign period.” 

The campaign period for party-list groups and those who will run for senators will begin on February 11, 2025,

The filing of the Certificate of Nomination and Certificate of Acceptance of Nomination (CON-CAN) by party-list groups is set from October 1 to October 8, 2024.

The Comelec had previously allowed party-list nominees holding either appointive or elective positions to continue to hold office even after they have acceptance their nominations.

Macalintal has questioned the rule, which is provided under Comelec Resolution No. 11045, before the High Court, arguing that the 1987 Constitution provides that “no officer or employee in the civil service shall engage, directly or indirectly, in any electioneering or partisan political campaign.”

Meanwhile, the Comelec yesterday adopted Taguig City Ordinance No. 144 increasing the number of its Sangguniang Panglungsod members from eight to 12 councilors for each of its two legislative districts.

Resolution No. 11069 stated: “The Commission En Banc, by virtue of the powers vested in it by the Constitution, the Omnibus Election Code, the Administrative Code of 1987, and other relevant statutes, hereby resolves to adopt… the increase in the number of seats for the Sangguniang Panlungsod, from eight to 12 for each councilor district.”

The poll body likewise adopted the distribution of the 10 Enlisted Men’s Barrio (EMBO) barangays in Taguig City to the two legislative districts of the city.

To be included in the first district of Taguig City (with Pateros) are Barangays Comembo, Pembo, and Rizal.

On the other hand, added to the second district are Barangays Cembo, South Cembo, East Rembo, West Rembo, Pitogo, Post Proper Northside, and Post Proper Southside.

The Commission said the decision comes in recognition of the provision of Taguig City Ordinance No. 144, which distributed the 10 EMBO barangays to the two legislative districts of Taguig City.

Comelec chairman George Garcia also said the poll body is inclined to adopt the concurrent resolutions approved separately by the House of Representatives and the Senate, which call for the inclusion of the EMBO barangays to the two existing districts of Taguig City.

“Congressional action is necessary so that there can be a clearer policy on where the 10 (EMBO) barangays will vote for congressman,” Garcia said.

The poll chief said the Commission en banc is currently waiting for copies of the two measures so they can discuss the matter.

“But our guiding principle will be that nobody should be unable to vote for their congressman. There shouldn’t be any disenfranchisement,” he said.

In support of Taguig City issued Ordinance No. 144, Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano filed Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 23, which called for registered voters of the 10 EMBO barangays to exercise their voting rights by being made part of the two existing districts of Taguig City. A counterpart measure was also filed at the House of Representatives. House Concurrent Resolution No. 37 was filed by Taguig-Pateros Rep. Ricardo Cruz Jr.

Back in June 2024, the Comelec announced that over 300,000 registered voters in the 10 EMBO barangays cannot vote for the position of congressman in the May 2025 polls because they belong to neither of the two congressional districts of Taguig City. It said it would need congressional action to resolve the issue.