THE arraignment of former Commission on Elections Chairman Benjamin Abalos Sr. on Monday was moved to another date by the Pasay City Regional Trial Court after the prosecution side agreed to resolve first all the three pending motions of the defense panel.

In the hearing yesterday before the sala of Pasay RTC Judge Jesus Mupas, the arraignment on the electoral sabotage case against Abalos was moved to March 26 after Cherry dela Cruz, defense counsel, asked to resolve first the motion for reconsideration after the judge junked their motion for inhibition.

The court will also resolve the petition of Abalos to allow him to post bail and his motion to quash the charges filed against him.

On the other hand,  Comelec lawyer Esmeralda Ladra asked the court to resolve all the three pending motions of Abalos since the defense has virtually accepted that it was the court that has the jurisdiction over the case and not the Sandiganbayan.

Mupas ordered the prosecution panel to file their comment on the pending motion of Abalos to be allowed to post bail within 10 days and five days for the motion to quash.

Judge Mupas also moved to March 19 from Feb. 19 the scheduled arraignment of the same electoral sabotage case against former President and Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo so former Maguindanao Governor Andal Ampatuan Sr.  and election supervisor Lintang Bedol can be arraigned with her.

Mupas decided to hold the arraignment of the three on the same date after the lawyer of Ampatuan asked the court to give them more time to file their motion for consideration on the junked motion to quash they had filed earlier.

Mupas gave Ampatuan's lawyer 10 days to file his answer to the junked motion and the prosecution will also be given 10 days to answer.