Tension grips Imus town hall as ousted mayor refuses to yield post

SWAT members arrive outside the Municipal Hall grounds as the supporters of unseated Mayor Emmanuel Maliksi prevent the camp of Homer Saquilayan from taking over as he takes his oath as mayor of this town as declared by the Imus regional Trial Court on Wednesday.INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / NINO JESUS ORBETA

MANILA, Philippines – Imus, Cavite Mayor Emmanuel Maliksi refused Monday to vacate his post despite the order from the Supreme Court (SC) and the Commission on Elections (Comelec) that he make way for Homer Saquilayan to assume office.

Maliksi, along with his supporters, had not accepted the writ of execution served on Monday and was refusing to leave the municipal hall, radio reports said.

Tensions rose when supporters of Saquilayan also gathered so that he can assume office, reports said.

The writ of execution directed the provincial election supervisor and the provincial local government operations officer to implement the order for “Emmanuel Maliksi … to cease and desist from discharging the powers and functions of the office of the mayor … and to relinquish and vacate the same in favor of … Homer Saquilayan to cause the peaceful and smooth turn-over of office.”