IMUS, Cavite, Philippines — Police assured Friday security in this town after the local court handed down the decision declaring Emmanuel L. Maliksi as the duly-elected mayor of the municipality in the resolution of an election protest over the results of the May 10, 2010 elections.

“The situation is under control,” Superintendent Hersan H.Mojica, Imus Municipal Police Station officer-in-charge (OIC).

Mojica allayed fears of confrontations between supporters of incumbent Mayor Homer T. Saquilayan and those of Maliksi with the legal and political developments following the court decision.

Imus Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 22 Judge Cesar A. Mangrobang, in a 269-page decision, “annulled and set aside” the election and proclamation of Saquilayan as municipal mayor and “commanded (the town chief executive) to immediately cease and desist from performing office duties and functions.”

In his decision, Mangrobang said that the court found the election protest meritorious and declared Maliksi as the elected mayor "after having obtained the highest number of legal votes of 41,088 as against Saquilayan's 40,423 or a winning margin of 655 votes in favor of the former.”

Saquilayan questioned the decision and had filed, through his legal counsel, a notice of appeal.

Mojica said he expected peace and order would reign in the town’s 97 barangays (villages) and muncipal hall with dialogues being made by him and his officers with the camps of Saquilayan and Maliksi and the security measures in place.

The police OIC said that police teams and five mobile cars are on standby for any eventuality at the police station which is just a stone’s throw away from the new and old municipal buildings.

This developed as Saquilayan and Maliksi's camps have assured that they would police their own ranks to ensure peace and order as the legal in connection with the court decision are ongoing.

Raymond Arguelles, a leader in Maliksi's camp, said that there is a call for supporters to be civil, calm and law-abiding with the processes.

"There is a call from Mayor Manny (Maliksi) for supporters to observe calmness and sobriety with the legal and political developments," Arguelles told reporters in the vernacular.

The same call was also made by the administration officials and political leaders of Saquilayan. Officials said that Saquilayan was expected to arrive either Saturday or Sunday from the United States.