Batangas mayor ‘ousted’ by rival

SAN PASCUAL, Batangas — "Na-Milenyo ako."

Thus whined San Pascual Mayor Mario Magsaysay after he was "ousted" by his political rival who had sneaked into the municipal hall in the aftermath of typhoon "Milenyo" last Friday.

Antonio Dimayuga, Magsaysay’s opponent in the mayoralty race, together with at least 11 supporters, disarmed two security guards and barged into the municipal building.

After gaining control of the town hall, Dimayuga’s group padlocked all gates of the compound and the doors of municipal offices.

Dimayuga insisted that he was the rightful winner of the 2004 mayoral race, as the regional trial court has declared, with a slim margin of 41 votes.

Dimayuga’s group was armed with a writ of execution and a special order from Judge Ruben Galvez of the Batangas RTC Branch 3.

Magsaysay, however, stood his ground and forced his way in, holding office in the hospital inside the municipal compound.

He insisted that Dimayuga’s action was illegal since he has a pending motion for reconsideration with the Commission on Elections en banc after his 60-day temporary restraining order lapsed last July 4. — Arnell Ozaeta