📷: Solicitor General Darlene Berberabe
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has directed the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) to file a motion for reconsideration of the Supreme Court’s ruling on unprogrammed appropriations in the 2024, 2025, and 2026 national budgets.
“Magalang nating hinihiling sa Korte Suprema na muling suriin ang kanilang desisyon. Ipinag-utos na rin po sa Office of the Solicitor General na magsampa po ng motion for reconsideration,” Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said during a press briefing on Tuesday.
Castro argued that the High Court’s requirement that total government revenues must first exceed overall revenue targets before unprogrammed appropriations can be used effectively alters the conditions established by Congress, which is constitutionally mandated to craft the national budget.
She said Congress has, since 2015, allowed the release of unprogrammed funds when collections from at least one identified non-tax revenue source exceed targets, subject to other conditions under the law. According to Castro, the Marcos administration merely followed this long-standing policy.
In its decision, the Supreme Court struck down portions of the 2024, 2025, and 2026 national budgets, declaring unconstitutional several appropriations that exceeded the amounts originally recommended by the President.
The ruling covered congressional increases in unprogrammed appropriations and allocations to certain special accounts that resulted in higher funding levels.
Under the 2024 General Appropriations Act (GAA), the Court declared unconstitutional the P449.5 billion added by Congress to unprogrammed appropriations.
The tribunal also invalidated the P17.99 billion added to the Department of Public Works and Highways’ Special Road Fund under the 2025 GAA, as well as an additional P12.75 billion allocated to several government agencies’ special accounts.
However, the justices clarified that the decision does not automatically void all appropriations in the national budget.
Only the specific provisions declared unconstitutional are barred from implementation, in accordance with the scope of the ruling.# (ZIA LUNA / TAMMY QUIBRAL)
