MANILA, Philippines - The Supreme Court (SC) will no longer entertain an appeal on its decision unseating Emmanuel Maliksi as mayor of Imus City and reinstating Homer Saquilayan to the post exactly two months before their “rematch†in the midterm polls.
SC spokesman Theodore Te said the ruling handed down by the high court last Tuesday after an 8-7 vote is “immediately executory†and thus should be enforced right away.
“The court makes a decision immediately executory when there’s urgency to enforce it – just like in case of Saquilayan; he only has five months left to serve in office. That’s why the court would no longer entertain an appeal,†he said.
The SC affirmed Comelec’s findings in August last year that Saquilayan was the real winner in the 2010 mayoral race after a recount of votes cast in contested precincts showed that he garnered a total of 48,521 votes or 8,429 more than Maliksi’s 40,092.
The SC also lifted the temporary restraining order it issued last year that stopped Saquilayan’s proclamation.