Mayor Emmanuel Maliksi of Imus, Cavite City, recently cried foul over the allegation of his opponent Homer Saquilayan that Supreme Court Chief Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno is a close

ally and that is the reason why they were favored of the temporary restraining order (TRO) maintaining a status quo of the petition filed by Saquilayan unseating Maliksi as mayor of the said city.

In an interview, Maliksi said that they were favored due to the evidence that they furnished the Supreme Court.

“They should stick to the issue. I really won the election and there is no evidence that they can offer to bolster their case against me, huwag nilang haluan ng politika ang issue. Ako talaga ang nanalo at wala naman silang makitang katibayan magpa-palakas ng kaso nila laban sa akin,” Maliksi said.

Saquilayan, who sat for one and a half year as mayor of Imus City, recently called for a press conference and alleged Maliksi railroading his case.

Maliksi alleged that Saquilayan and Commission on Elections Chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr. are “close allies,” which is why the poll body favored Saquilayan in a resolution as the winner of the 2010 Imus mayoralty race.

Earlier last week, the SC has clarified that no politics was behind Sereno’s unilateral TRO stopping Comelec from unseating Maliksi, and there is no truth at all to allegations that Sereno acted on her own and was influenced by political pressure in issuing the order.

Maliksi is a staunch ally of President Benigno Aquino 3rd and the order was rumored to have been issued upon the request of Malacañang.

The High Tribunal insisted Sereno issued the TRO in response to and after careful study of the written request on the same date by the member-in-charge of the said case, copy of which was furnished the members of the court.”

Mayor Homer Saquilayan earlier alleged a “political hand” in the order, referring to Aquino’s ruling Liberal Party.

Saquilayan’s lawyers Charles Mercado and Ferdinand Topacio said that they would file a comment to the petition of Maliksi and would also seek the lifting of the order.