MANILA, Philippines — The Pasay City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Friday deferred the arraignment on Monday of former Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman Benjamin Abalos.

RTC Branch 112 Judge Jesus Mupas reset the arraignment for March 26 after the Comelec panel headed by Esmeralda Ladra moved to resolve first the three motions filed in court by Abalos’ camp.

Abalos, who was represented by Cherry dela Cruz, asked the court to resolve the motion for reconsideration on Mupas’ order that denied the Abalos’ motion for inhibition.

Dela Cruz also asked the court to grant Abalos’ request to post bail on the electoral sabotage filed against him and resolve the Motion to Quash they have filed.

Ladra, said all petitions filed by Abalos must be resolve all at once.

She said that Abalos’ lawyer, in asking the court to grant their motion to fix bail was already admitting that the court has jurisdiction to hear the electoral sabotage complaint against the former Comelec chairman.

Ladra explained that Abalos’ lawyers filed last February 3 the motion to quash, claiming the court lacked jurisdiction to hear the case, which should have been lodged with the Sandiganbayan.

Ladra said Abalos’ repeated motions asking the court to inhibit from hearing the case is also an admission of the court’s jurisdiction.

Mupas ordered the Comelec to file their comment within 10 days on the motion of Dela Cruz to fix bail and five days on the motion to quash.