MANILA, Philippines?A Manila court has postponed the arraignment of the brother of slain hostage-taker Senior Insp. Rolando Mendoza for serious disobedience to give him time to file a motion seeking the dismissal of the complaint.

Judge Ermin Ernest Louie Miguel of the Manila Metropolitan Trial Court Branch 11 granted an oral motion by SPO2 Gregorio Mendoza?s lawyers to defer the arraignment, a process in which an accused person enters a plea, and set oral arguments on Sept. 28.

Gregorio, represented by the Public Attorney?s Office, indicated to the court his intention to file a motion to quash the information on the ground that the charges against him were defective.

He was charged with serious disobedience for entering the scene of the Aug. 23 hostage carrying a firearm, which was later confiscated from him. The deputy negotiator, Senior Insp. Romeo Salvador, said Gregorio told his brother not to listen to the negotiators unless his gun was returned to him.

His presence and subsequent arrest at the height of negotiations with his brother were believed to have triggered Mendoza into shooting the hostages. Eight of the Hong Kong tourists and Mendoza died in the bloody incident.