The Supreme Court (SC) has scheduled oral arguments next month on consolidated petitions challenging provisions on unprogrammed funds and Special Accounts in the General Fund (SAGF) under recent national budgets.

In an advisory, the high court said the hearings will be held on 7 April and 21 April 2026, both at 9:30 a.m., at the En Banc Session Hall and Division Hearing Room in its Padre Faura, Manila headquarters.

The cases question specific provisions in the 2024, 2025, and 2026 General Appropriations Acts (GAAs), particularly those involving unprogrammed funds, appropriations that may only be released upon the availability of excess revenues or new funding sources, and the use of special accounts within the general fund.

Among the consolidated petitions are those filed by lawmakers and civic groups, including a case led by Rep. Edcel Lagman against Congress, as well as a petition by former Senator Aquilino Pimentel III and Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez questioning executive officials led by former Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin and former Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman.

Separate petitions were also filed by civil society group Filipinos for Peace, Justice and Progress Movement Inc., and by former lawmakers Rep. Edgar Erice and Rep. Leila de Lima.

The SC said the oral arguments will tackle legal questions surrounding the constitutionality and implementation of the questioned budget provisions, which have drawn scrutiny over transparency, accountability, and the limits of congressional and executive spending authority.