MANILA - Lipa Archbishop Ramon Arguelles on Thursday said Malacañang might pressure Supreme Court justices after the high court issued a status quo ante (SQA) order stopping for 120 days the implementation of the Reproductive Health Law.

"I won’t be surprised. They had long prepared for that. I think they enjoyed their congressional victory that they underestimated the wounded judiciary," he said in a CBCPNews report.

The Supreme Court earlier voted 10-5 to issue the SQA order against the RH law. The five justices who dissented were: Chief Justice Lourdes Sereno and Associate Justices Antonio Carpio, Mariano del Castillo, Estela Perlas Bernabe and Marvic Leonen.

Oral arguments have been set on June 18, 2013 at 2:00 p.m.

Malacanang said it will abide by the ruling.

"We will observe the SQA resolution issued by the Supreme Court and we are confident that government will be able to defend the merits of the Responsible Parenthood Law," said Presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda.

Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman, one of the law’s proponents, said the SQA is just a temporary setback. He believes the high court will uphold it in the end.

Several leaders of the Catholic Church, meanwhile, hailed the order, saying it was "God’s hand at work."

Marbel Bishop Dinualdo Gutierrez said: “Maraming salamat po sa Diyos, kumikilos ang kamay ng Panginoon sa mga puso ng Supreme Court justices na pumigil sa implementasyon ng RH Law na nakatakda sana sa Palm Sunday, March 24, 2013.”

Baguio Bishop Carlito Cenzon added: “Great, never give up hope. We do not give up for what we believed is right. Ang panginoon ay lagi nating kasama, laging panig sa tama.”

Digos Bishop Guillermo Afable added: “Praise the Lord, nasa panig natin ang Diyos. Tama ang ating ginagawa at pagtutol sa RH law."

Sorsogon Bishop Arturo Bastes said the order was good news especially with Pope Francis formally taking over the post vacated by Pope Benedict XVI.

He said Pope Francis, who celebrated his inaugural mass Tuesday, was very much against the measure when it was implemented in his country, Argentina. With a report from CBCPNews