Supreme Court debate on budget insertions begin April 7

MANILA, Philippines — The Supreme Court (SC) will start romorrow the oral arguments on the petitions challenging the legality of unprogrammed appropriations and special accounts in the national budget.

According to the SC, proceedings will start at 9:30 a.m. at the Session Hall in Padre Faura, Manila.

Another hearing is set on April 21.

The consolidated petitions challenge provisions in the 2024, 2025, 2026 General Appropriations Act relating to the unprogrammed funds and special accounts in the General Fund.

Among the petitions are those filed by the late Albay representative Edcel Lagman and former senator Koko Pimentel, along with former House speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, civic groups and other lawmakers.

They argued that Congress, through bicameral conference committees, allegedly inserted or expanded budget allocations beyond constitutional limits.

They also claimed that the questioned provisions allowed significant increases in funding across multiple years, including hundreds of billions of pesos in unprogrammed appropriations.

Separate petitions also challenged adjustments to special accounts including funds tied to infrastructure spending.

Some questioned provisions in the 2026 budget that allow the continued use of unprogrammed funds.

Summer session in Manila

The SC will start its summer sessions on April 6 in Manila as it relocated the annual proceedings from Baguio City, in response to the unexpected and extraordinary increase in fuel prices.

Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo said the move was done after consulting with the SC full bench, noting the Court’s responsibility to remain mindful of current national conditions while continuing to ensure the steady delivery of justice.

The summer sessions will run from April 6 to April 30, with all activities including deliberations, hearings, and decision- and resolution-writing to be held at the SC’s facilities in Manila.

The SC said the adjustment is part of the SC’s energy conservation measures, in line with broader government efforts to address rising fuel costs.

The scheduled oral arguments will proceed as planned at the SC session hall, including the hearing on the petition seeking clarification on the recognition of foreign divorce decrees involving Filipino citizens, which is set on April 28.

The SC traditionally holds its summer sessions in Baguio City, dating back to 1948 during the term of former chief justice Manuel Moran.

The move to Manila, it said, does not prevent the SC from holding special sessions in Baguio once conditions return to normal.