DILG chief: Palace to appeal SC ruling on ARMM OICs

Malacañang will appeal the Supreme Court's temporary restraining order effectively preventing President Benigno Aquino III from replacing incumbent elected officials in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao with appointees chosen by a committee. In a radio interview Wednesday, Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo said this was one of the decisions reached following a meeting Tuesday night at the Palace. "Nagkausap po kami kagabi. Ang malinaw... mag-e-MR po ang OSG at hihilingin sa lalong madaling panahon resolbahin ang kaso," Robredo said in an interview on dwIZ radio when asked if he had discussed the matter with Aquino. (I talked with President Aquino Tuesday night. Initially, there is a plan to have the Office of the Solicitor General file a motion for reconsideration and ask the Supreme Court to clarify and resolve the issue soonest.) But he admitted the Commission on Elections will have to prepare for all possibilities, including the holding of elections in ARMM before end-2011. "Dapat paghandaan. Sa palagay ko dapat paghandaan (We must prepare for all possibilities. We must prepare for all scenarios)," Robredo said. In the meantime, Robredo hinted they may "suspend" the process of selecting OICs. "Kami sa paggalang sa decision pinigil namin ang proseso. Pero kung nagkaroon ng linaw na ang pagpigil ang pagpili para matapos ang proseso, tatapusin namin ang proseso," he said. (We respect the decision and will halt the proceedings for now. But if the high court gives the related clarifications and allows us to complete our procedures, we will do so.) TRO On Tuesday, the high court voted 8-4 to issue a temporary restraining order to keep Aquino from appointing 26 temporary ARMM officials, including the region's governor, vice governor, and 24 representatives of the Regional Legislative Assembly. Following the high court's decision, Aquino appealed to the Supreme Court to consider widespread graft, corruption and injustice in the ARMM in allowing the replacement of incumbent officials by temporary appointees. Court Administrator and SC spokesman Jose Midas Marquez said the high court's intention in its latest order was to prevent any appointment of temporary officials in the ARMM. Marquez also clarified that the ruling would not affect the regular national elections in 2013 and that the Commission on Elections could still carry on with its preparations for it. He added incumbent ARMM officials will have to remain in their posts if the SC justices do not come up with a final ruling on the petitions against the poll deferment. Seek clarification In the same radio interview, Robredo said the Palace wants the high court to clarify if the TRO applies to the procedure of selecting OICs or to the right to select OICs. Marquez earlier said the government can still proceed with its screening process for the 300 applications for the 26 available ARMM OIC posts. "I'm still hopeful the SC will ultimately allow us to choose the OICs para maumpisahan (so we can get the ball rolling towards reforms)," Robredo said. Besides, he said the law does not allow a leadership vacuum if the incumbent officials' term expires on Sept. 30. He also noted the President has the right to appoint OICs. "Kapangyarihan ang pangulo magtalaga ng OIC. Pagdating ng Sept. 30, pag nag-expire ang terms ng naupo kailangan magtagal ng OIC (It is the president's right to appoint OICs. When September 30 rolls around the the incumbents' terms expire, there is a need to appoint OICs)," he said. Explosion Meanwhile, Robredo refused to speculate whether the explosions in Cotabato City Tuesday were related to the ARMM OIC mess. The venue of the explosion was part of the route Robredo's convoy was to pass but Robredo's convoy had made a last-minute change in route. But he said he will not let the explosion stop the DILG from doing its work. "Again, ayaw kong mag-speculate. Papaimbestigahan namin, aalamin namin ang dahilan. Whether may relasyon o walang relasyon, di mapipigil ang aming gawain dahil may ganyan. Sa akin, while there are possibilities and there are many, sa amin kung ano ang aming assignment ang aming tungkulin gagawin namin yan dahil kasama sa trabaho," he said. (Again I don't want to speculate. We are having this investigated, but whether or not this was related to the ARMM OIC issue, it will not stop us from doing what we have to do.) — RSJ/MRT, GMA News