Supreme Court: No TRO vs DOJ-Comelec panel

MANILA, Philippines—Former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and her husband, Jose Miguel “Mike” Arroyo, have failed to get an immediate reprieve from the Supreme Court in connection with the investigation of a special government panel into the alleged irregularities during the 2007 midterm elections in Mindanao.

Jose Midas Marquez, the court administrator and spokesperson, said the high tribunal did not resolve the Arroyo couple’s separate urgent petitions for a temporary restraining order against the joint Commission on Elections and Department of Justice panel during its regular en banc session on Tuesday.

“There is no temporary restraining order or a status quo ante order,” Marquez announced in a news briefing,

Asked if the injunctive order could have nullified Arroyo’s arrest, he replied: “That’s right.”

“The prayer for TRO is not yet being resolved because the court would like to see and go over the comment of the government,” Marquez said.

A senior court official earlier told the INQUIRER that the tribunal voted to dismiss the petitions for TRO of Mike Arroyo and former Comelec chair Benjamin Abalos.

But Marquez clarified the magistrates voted 10-4 to consolidate the petitions separately filed by Mike Arroyo and Abalos with that of the former President’s own motion.

By the same vote, Marquez said the court gave all parties five days to file their comment. He said the magistrates set an oral argument on the matter at 2 p.m. on Nov. 29.