The Philippine Online Chronicles

The Supreme Court has blocked the implementation of the law postponing the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) elections this year, putting Malacanañang’s appointment of officers-in-charge for the region on hold.

Voting 8-4, the high court en banc issued on Tuesday a temporary restraining order (TRO) against Republic Act 10153, which synchronizes the ARMM polls with the 2013 midterm elections.

Incumbent officials are also ordered to keep their posts on a holdover capacity until the justices arrive at a final decision regarding the constitutionality of the law by Sept. 30, or when the terms of the incumbents expire.

In a Philstar.com report, SC spokesman Jose Midas Marquez said the TRO was issued “to prevent confusion” that may arise once the palace appoints OICs in ARMM and the high court eventually nullifies the law.

“There is great possibility that OICs will be appointed by Oct. 1, and later on — maybe a month or two —the court may decide on merit and there is a possibility that the decision might strike down that provision of allowing the appointment of OICs. That might result in bigger confusion and may even result to chaos if the court later on nullifies the appointment of the OICs,” Marquez explained in the same report.

The SC spokesman said the TRO will take effect immediately and would be enforced “until lifted,” although the SC has yet to release a copy of the decision.

The August 8 ARMM elections have already been postponed and President Benigno Aquino III has said that he will appoint ARMM OICs before his US trip later this week.

Marquez said it was better that a TRO be issued now before the OICs are appointed, as they would be if the high court is not able to decide the cases before Sept. 30. But if the court would later nullify the appointment of OICs, “there will be confusion and even chaos.”

In response to the SC order, President Aquino stressed the urgency of putting RA 10153 in effect to supposedly attain reforms in the region.

“Natutuwa ba tayo sa sitwasyon sa ARMM? Natutuwa ba tayo sa report ng COA (Commission on Audit) tungkol sa pagkawala ng 80 porsyento ng pondo na dapat sana ay napunta sa taumbayan? Ganoon po ba kadaling malimot ang 57 taong walang awang pinaslang sa Maguindanao?" Aquino asked in a statement read by presidential spokersperson Edwin Lacierda.

Palace officials are hinting at challenging the SC TRO, possibly through a motion for reconsideration.