Suit filed vs Comelec, DSWD

A taxpayer has filed a suit before the Supreme Court to block the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) from using P12 billion and P26.7 billion, respectively, inserted in their 2024 budgets under the General Appropriations Act. Berteni Cataluna Causing, a resident of Barangay Zone IV, Koronadal City, seeks to nullify these insertions as unconstitutional.

Causing named several government offices as respondents. He argued that Comelec's budget of P2.22 billion for electoral activities in 2024 was significantly less than their requested P2.57 billion, with no scheduled plebiscite warranting the additional P12 billion. The House approved P27.13 billion for Comelec, exceeding its recommended P27.10 billion.

For DSWD, Causing noted DBM's proposed P78.27 billion for social welfare programs lacked funding for the AKAP initiative, though DSWD's total budget recommendation was P207.20 billion, covering AKAP. The Senate proposed P27.63 billion for Comelec and P244.41 billion for DSWD, differing from the House-approved amounts.