SC orders Cavite mayor reinstated

The Supreme Court on Tuesday declared Homer Saquilayan the duly elected mayor of Imus, Cavite, and ordered his immediate reinstatement to the post.

Voting 8-7, the high tribunal in an en banc session lifted the temporary restraining order it had issued in October stopping the Commission on Elections from unseating Emmanuel Maliksi in favor of Saquilayan.

The court also dismissed Maliksi’s petition and affirmed the Comelec rulings favoring Saquilayan.

“The decision is immediately executory considering that there are less than five months left in the office,” said court spokesman Theodore Te.

Maliksi was installed as mayor in December 2011, one month after the Imus Regional Trial Court ruled on his election protest against Saquilayan.

In August last year, a Comelec division declared that Saquilayan had beaten Maliksi by 8,429 votes. Maliksi appealed to the Comelec and then went to the Supreme Court.

Maliksi is the son of former Cavite governor and current Imus Rep. Erineo “Ayong” Maliksi. He is also a member of the Liberal Party, which is headed by President Aquino.