Taguig accuses Makati of reneging on health facility transfer agreement

In an unexpected turn of events, Taguig City has accused Makati City of backtracking on its commitment to transfer jurisdiction of health facilities in the 10 EMBO (Eastern Mangrove barangays) barangays. This transfer, facilitated by the Department of Health (DOH) and initially agreed to be completed by October 1, 2023, now faces uncertainty due to Makati's alleged disinformation campaign.

Makati's recent distribution of a press release titled "Taguig’s ‘unreasonable’ rejection of Makati proposals impedes smooth transfer of city-owned health facilities, services – City Administrator" has drawn sharp criticism from Taguig officials. Taguig claims that Makati's press release fails to acknowledge the central issue: the ownership of land and health centers.

According to Taguig, Makati's proposed Memorandum of Agreements is built on the false premise that they own both the land and the health centers, which violates the agreement with the DOH. The agreement stipulated that both Makati and Taguig would not assert ownership claims over the land and buildings during the transition discussions to ensure a smooth jurisdictional transfer.

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Taguig accuses Makati of acting in bad faith and prioritizing its own baseless ownership claims over the welfare of their former residents. The dispute revolves around Ospital ng Makati, and while Taguig City Mayor Lani Cayetano has not rejected any proposal from Makati, discussions regarding the hospital were deferred to Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa, as stated in the press release.

Taguig asserts that it has a superior legal claim to the land and its improvements and has called for a deeper investigation by responsible members of the media. They emphasize that their primary concern is the uninterrupted delivery of services to their new residents in the 10 EMBO barangays.

This dispute threatens to delay the Supreme Court's final decision on the matter, but Taguig remains committed to following the law and serving the welfare of its people.