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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider SC concludes legal debates on petitions vs 2024, 2025, 2026 national budgets

SC concludes legal debates on petitions vs 2024, 2025, 2026 national budgets

Published Jul 14, 2026 07:24 pm
After six session days spread in three months, the Supreme Court (SC) concluded on Tuesday, July 14, the oral arguments on four consolidated petitions that challenged the constitutionality of the unprogrammed funds and special accounts in the 2024, 2025, and 2026 national budgets.
The oral arguments started last April 7. The legal debates were scattered in three months so as not to affect the agenda in the SC’s division and full court sessions.
The SC, through Chief Justice Alexander G. Gesmundo, directed all parties in the petitions and those invited as amici curiae (friends of the court) to submit their respective memoranda on all issues within 20 days from July 14, 2026.
Chief Justice Gesmundo also asked the respondents in the government to submit all the remaining requested manifestations, documents, and certifications within a non-extendible period of 15 days.
"All the parties are reminded that the court will decide on this urgent case based on their own timeline considering the manifestations of the amici and that the GAA (General Appropriations Act) 2027 will soon be tackled by Congress, regardless whether the parties complied with the periods we have provided," Gesmundo said.
Based on the timeline, the SC is expected to resolve the consolidated petitions before the year is over.
Despite the pleas for a temporary restraining order (TRO) sought by the petitioners, the SC did not grant the relief which was opposed by the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG), the government’s lawyer.
Orally argued were four petitions -- G.R. No. 271059, Rep. Edcel C. Lagman et al. vs Congress of the Philippines et al.; G.R. No. 271347, Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III and Pantaleon “Bebot” Alvarez vs Lucas P. Bersamin and Amenah F. Pangandaman; G.R. No. E-02472, Filipinos for Peace, Justice and Progress Movement, Inc. (FPJPM) vs House of Representatives et al.; and G.R. No. E-04036, Edgar R. Erice and Leila de Lima v. Senate of the Philippines et al.
The petitioners – legislators, taxpayers, and concerned citizens – asked the SC to nullify the adjustments made by Congress’ Bicameral Conference Committees that inflated the national budget for three consecutive years starting in 2024.
A total of P150.9 billion in unprogrammed appropriations (UA) was included in the P6.793 trillion national budget for 2026 under Republic Act No. 12314, the 2026 General Appropriations Act (GAA), that was signed into law by President Marcos last January 5.
The OSG had earlier asked the SC to dismiss the consolidated petitions.

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