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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider SC holds sessions in Baguio City August 17 to 31

SC holds sessions in Baguio City August 17 to 31

Published Aug 17, 2026 12:40 pm  |  Updated Aug 17, 2026 02:57 pm
The Supreme Court (SC) started today, August 17, its two-week sessions in Baguio City.
Chief Justice Alexander G. Gesmundo said the Baguio City sessions are in lieu of the traditional summer sessions that were cancelled last April.
It was not known immediately if the SC would decide in Baguio City the consolidated petitions that challenged the constitutionality of the unprogrammed funds and special accounts in the 2024, 2025, and 2026 national budgets.
The SC conducted oral arguments on the petitions last April 7 and concluded the legal debates last July 14.
The parties in the petitions were given 20 days from July 14 to submit their memoranda.
The government has submitted to Congress the proposed P7.2-trillion National Expenditure Program (NEP) for 2027.
The proposed budget is 21.7 percent of the country's projected gross domestic product, making it the highest proposed national budget, according to the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).
It is P407 billion, or about 6 percent, higher than the P6.7932 trillion appropriations programmed for 2026, the DBM also said.
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).
The OSG had earlier asked the SC to dismiss the consolidated petitions.

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