It took a Makati court to drive the final nail to the political ambition of Taloto barangay captain Faro Cabalit’s bid to regain the old post in the Sangguniang Panglungsud representing the Liga ng mga Barangay, city chapter. In Civil Case No. 12-1045, the Regional Trial Court of the City of Makati with Cogon barangay captain Philip Besas as petitioner, issued a writ of preliminary injunction in the implementation of the order dated February 18,2013, enjoining and restraining the 5th National Executive Board of the Liga ng mga Barangay sa Pilipinas, its national president, Hon. Ricojudge Janvier Echiverri with office address at 2nd floor, Caloocan City and respondent punong barangay Faro Cabalit including all persons acting on the basis of the said resolution from implementing the Resolution No. CA-PRJME pending trial on the merits of the main action, in the manner provided for under the Rules of Court.

In a two-page Writ of Preliminary Injunction, lawyer John Paul Andamo, branch clerk of court, in effect, commanded sheriff Geronimo Lacera, Jr. of the Makati RTC to carry out the order after notice and due hearing issued by the court dated February 18, 2013. The order granted the issuance of the Writ of Preliminary Injunction conditioned upon the posting of a bond in the amount of P1,000,000.00 which petitioner complied with and was approved by this Court to answer for all the damages which respondents may suffer by reason of the injunction if the Court finally decide that the petitioner is not entitled thereto. It may be recalled that Cabalit succeeded in securing Resolution No. CA-PRJME recognizing him as legitimate representative of the city Liga giving him the right to sit as an ex-oficio member of the Sangguniang Panlungsud.

Although Cabalit was recognized by the national executive board and subsequently the regional Liga, Besas filed a civil action for preliminary injunction before the Makati court. This prompted the same court to issue a temporary restraining order dated October 24,2012 stopping Cabalit from assuming his old post as city council member representing the city Liga. Cabalit was ousted from the Liga presidency and its wake was the assumption into office of Besas paving the way to his entry as SP member representing the city barangay captains. An apparent victim of the tyranny of numbers, Cabalit was replaced as Liga president after his colleagues in the association voted Besas citing loss of confidence. Cabalit’s fall from grace in the corridors of power at city hall, tilted the balance of legislative power in the Sangguniang Panlungsud with a score of 6-6. But since Vice Mayor Nuevas Tirol-Montes is mandated by law to break the tie involving the 6-6 equation, the balance continues to favor the present administration now with Cabalit officially out of the loop as a result of the Makati court order.