The Supreme Court maintained the status quo and instructed the Comelec to determine the duly elected mayor "with utmost dispatch" and respect for Rosal’s right to be heard.
In a 32-page decision, the Supreme Court en banc granted Rosal’s petition to nullify Comelec orders denying his request to present evidence that the revised ballots had been tampered with, and declaring Michael Victor Imperial the winner in the 2004 polls. – Sandy Araneta