SC grants Cayetano petition vs Comelec's airtime rule

MANILA, Philippines - The Supreme Court on Tuesday granted the petition for intervention of reelectionist senator Alan Peter Cayetano, questioning the Commission on Elections in setting a 120-minute limit on TV ads and a 180-minute limit on radio ads for national candidates.

SC public information office head, lawyer Theodore Te , however, pointed out that that High Court did not issue a temporary restraining order on the poll body's airtime rule.

Te said the High Court also ordered the Office of the Solicitor General to comment on the cases in five days.

Cayetano's petition seeks to annul or modify Section 9 of the Comelec Resolution No. 9615, which contains the contested rules, for having been issued with grave abuse of discretion amounting to lack or excess of jurisdiction.

It also seeks the issuance of a TRO or a writ of preliminary injunction to enjoin Comelec from implementing and enforcing the provision.