DILG to defy lower courts’ orders on graft cases

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) will defy any injunction order issued by lower courts stopping the implementation of decisions from the Ombudsman involving graft cases filed against local officials, Secretary Eduardo Año said on Saturday.

In a statement, the DILG chief welcomed the circular issued by the Supreme Court reminding and advising Regional Trial Courts (RTC) that they have “no jurisdiction, authority to interfere with, or [power to] restrict the execution of Ombudsman decisions on disciplinary cases.”

“Given that the highest court of the land has spoken, this department will not honor any TRO (temporary restraining order) or injunction to be issued by any RTC against the decisions of the Ombudsman since the Supreme Court has ruled that it has no legal authority to do so,” he said.

Año said Office of the Court Administrator (OCA) Circular No. 221-2019, was issued due to the “repeated cases”in which RTCs have purportedly issued TROs and writs of preliminary injunctions against the Ombudsman decisions, which the DILG is mandated to implement.

“The numerous instances when the statutory duty of this department to implement the decisions of the Ombudsman have been stymied by the issuance of the RTC of temporary restraining orders and writs of preliminary injunction have become alarming,”he said.

He said the practice was “contrary to the doctrine of judicial stability and hierarchy of courts,” which led the DILG to seek the opinion of the Supreme Court.