Supreme Court: Law of succession is the rule in ARMM

Supreme Court spokesperson and Court Administrator Jose Midas Marquez. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

The Supreme Court said Saturday that “existing” laws governing the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) should be followed after the resignation of six ARMM officials when their terms expired last Friday.

Supreme Court spokesperson Jose Midas Marquez told the Philippine Daily Inquirer that there was “no need for the SC to act at this time,” when asked what the high tribunal’s action would be amid the resignations.

“Regular succession in accordance with existing laws should take place,” Marquez said in a text message.

The high court earlier issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) on Republic Act No. 10153, the law passed by Congress synchronizing the ARMM elections with the 2013 national and local elections. The TRO also restrained Malacañang from appointing officers in charge of the ARMM.

This means that the incumbent ARMM officials should remain at their posts in holdover capacity until new elections are held.

On Friday, Marquez said the TRO “remains enforced” as the consolidated cases questioning the constitutionality of RA 10153 remained pending.

Marquez said the holdover rules would be followed “until the court lifts the TRO or is able to decide these cases on their merits.”

The six ARMM officials tendered their resignations despite an order from Malacañang to remain at their posts to prevent a leadership vacuum in the region.

Malacañang issued the directive after the high court stopped the appointment of officers in charge, as prescribed by RA 10153, who would run the region after September 30 until new officials are elected.

Acting ARMM Governor Ansaruddin Adiong has not accepted the resignation of the six officials but has asked others to follow suit.

He said he wanted “fresh minds” to help him run the affairs of the region until a set of officials shall have been elected.

Ali Macabalang, who resigned as chief of the ARMM’s bureau of public information, said that among those who submitted their courtesy resignations were ARMM Executive Secretary Naguib Sinarimbo, Regional Board of Investments chief Ishak Mastura, Bureau of Cultural Heritage Executive Director Bai Ashrafia Alonto-Biruar, Science and Technology Secretary Frandzkhan Ilaji and Office of Development Assistance Director David Ali.

Macabalang said Adiong may accept or reject the courtesy resignations depending on the performance of the officials during their past 20 months in office.

“This is our way of expressing a sense of delicadeza in public service as an essential way through reform in governance that is purportedly being sought by those who advocate from election postponement,” Macabalang said. With reports from Edwin Fernandez and Nash Maulana, Inquirer Mindanao