MANILA, Philippines - A Quezon City judge has deferred to next week the hearing on the motion to transfer the detained members of the Ampatuan clan from different jails in Mindanao to Manila.

Judge Vivencio Baclig of the Quezon City Regional Trial court Branch 77 reset the hearing to 9 a.m. Tuesday next week (February 9).

The motion, filed by prosecutors of the Department of Justice (DOJ), proposes the transfer of former Maguindanao Governor Andal Ampatuan Sr. and suspended Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) Governor Zaldy Ampatuan from detention facilities in Davao City and General Santos City, respectively, to a police camp in Bicutan, Taguig.

Baclig reset the hearing in response to a motion by the Ampatuans' lawyer, Sigfrid Fortun, that the court should first determine probable cause before hearing the motion.

The 2 Ampatuans are facing charges of rebellion for allegedly leading an armed uprising in Maguindanao province to prevent authorities from arresting members of their clan suspected of being involved in the massacre of 57 people in Ampatuan town last Nov. 23, 2009.

Aside from the 2, Fortun is also representing Shariff Aguak town Mayor Anwar Ampatuan, suspended Maguindanao Governor Sajid Ampatuan, and suspended Maguindanao vice-governor Akmad Tato Ampatuan.

The 3 other Ampatuans are detained at Camp Siongco in Maguindanao province.

Prosecutors asked the court to transfer the Ampatuans after the Supreme Court granted a petition seeking the transfer of the rebellion case from Cotabato City Regional Trial Court to Quezon City due to their strong influence in the ARMM.  -- With a report from ANC