Supreme Court: No more oral arguments on Bangsamoro Organic Law

MANILA, Philippines — The Supreme Court (SC) will no longer hold oral arguments on petitions questioning the constitutionality of the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL).

The SC justices had planned to hear in oral arguments the petitions filed by the Sulu provincial government led by Gov. Abdusakur Tan II and the Philippine Constitutional Association (Philconsa) seeking to stop the implementation of the BOL under Republic Act 11054.

But they decided not to pursue it anymore following the ratification of the law in the plebiscite conducted by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) last Jan. 21 and Feb. 6, an insider told The STAR.

The source, who requested anonymity due to lack of authority to speak for the Court, said the magistrates opted to deliberate and decide on the case next month.

“The member in charge will submit the draft decision in March,” the insider revealed.

In the plebiscite, a majority of voters in ARMM and additional provinces voted to ratify the BOL.

The Court earlier deferred ruling on the plea of petitioners for issuance of a temporary restraining order (TRO) on implementation of the BOL, allowing the plebiscite to proceed as scheduled.

It opted to first seek comments from the respondents in the case – Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, members of the Senate and the House of Representatives headed by Senate President Vicente Sotto III and Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, respectively – before deciding on the plea for issuance of a TRO as well as on the merits of the case.

The two petitions raised practically the same arguments against the BOL.

Solicitor General Jose Calida has filed a comment on the petition of Tan and is expected to file another this week on Philconsa’s petition.