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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider SC asked: Declare 2025 budget law unconstitutional

SC asked: Declare 2025 budget law unconstitutional

Published Jan 28, 2025 08:16 am

The Supreme Court (SC) has been asked to declare unconstitutional Republic Act No. 12116, the General Appropriations Act (GAA) for 2025, for several alleged violations of the Constitution.

In a petition, the SC was told that RA 12116 reportedly violated the constitutional provisions under Article II, Section 15; Article VI, Section 25(1); and Article XIV, Section 5(5).

The petition was filed by former executive secretary Victor D. Rodriguez, Rep. Isidro T. Ungab, Rogelio A. Mendoza, Benito O. Ching Jr., Redemberto R. Villanueva, Roseller S. Dela Pena, Santos V. Catubay and Dominic C. M. Solis.

Named respondents were the House of Representatives represented by Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, Senate of the Philippines represented by Senate President Francis Escudero, and Executive Secretary Lucas P. Bersamin.

The petition alleged that the 2025 GAA undermines the citizens’ right to health by reducing the budget allocation for the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), and thus allegedly jeopardizing the government's ability to provide universal healthcare to Filipinos.

It also told the SC that the 2025 GAA contains allocations that exceeded the amounts recommended by the President in the National Expenditure Program (NEP) in violation of Section 25(1) of Article VI of the Constitution.

At the same time, the petition claimed that while budget for education is a priority in the Constitution, the inclusion of non-educational agencies and programs under the education budget undermines the sector's integrity and its intended beneficiaries.

Also challenged were the alleged improper realignments and procedural irregularities in the passage of the budget. 

The petitioners told the SC that the Bicameral Conference Committee submitted a report containing blank items, which, they alleged, constituted grave abuse of discretion and violated constitutional procedures for the passage of appropriations laws.

"These blank items undermine transparency and accountability in the budget process, leaving room for post-enactment insertions that are expressly prohibited by the Constitution," they said.

It was not known immediately if the petition has been raffled to a justice-in-charge and if it will be taken up during the SC’s full court session on Tuesday, Feb. 4.

 

 

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