Makati asks court for status quo, clarification on SC decision in Taguig dispute

MANILA, Philippines – Makati City Mayor Abby Binay asked the Taguig City Court to issue a status quo as they waited for the resolution of their motion for clarification and guidelines on the implementation of the decision of the Supreme Court on its land dispute against Taguig City.

On Thursday, October 5, Binay filed a motion for clarification with the petition for the issuance of a status quo ante order before the Taguig City Court branch 153 to facilitate the proper transition of territory. This is the same court where the Taguig-Makati land row started, which was eventually resolved by the High Court in favor of Taguig.

This petition came after Taguig and Makati engaged in a dispute over schools and health facilities in Enlisted Men’s Barrios (EMBO) barangays, prompting national agencies to intervene.

Binay said that their petition for a status quo order means that it is as if the 10 EMBO barangays are still under the jurisdiction of Makati City.

In the petition, Makati also asked the court to clarify if a writ of execution for the Supreme Court’s 2021 decision is necessary.

Last August, the Supreme Court said that Taguig must obtain a writ of execution before its courts can handle pending litigations over the EMBO areas. This was in response to a query from Makati City Regional Trial Court.

The Taguig City government, however, argued a writ of execution was no longer needed to exercise jurisdiction over the EMBO barangays.

Last June, DILG Secretary Benhur Abalos told Rappler that they were still waiting for the writ of execution, emphasizing that they could not facilitate the turnover of contested territories without it.

While waiting for this clarification and guidance on the decision’s implementation, Makati requested the court to establish a status quo.

The Makati City government also seeks the court’s guidance on determining the boundaries of Parcels 3 and 4 of Psu-2031, where the 10 EMBO barangays are located.

“Taguig cannot simply take the law into its own hands and act as it pleases without any writ of execution issued by the court. Because of Taguig’s arbitrary, whimsical, and capricious attempts to unilaterally implement the SC Decision in a