SC to hear petitions vs unprogrammed funds in 2026 budget

The Supreme Court of the Philippines is set to hear petitions questioning provisions in the 2026 national budget that allow the continued use of unprogrammed funds, raising concerns over possible constitutional limits on fiscal mechanisms.

The petitions focus on provisions permitting the use of unprogrammed appropriations and adjustments to special accounts tied to infrastructure and other government spending. Petitioners argue these measures allow significant flexibility in budget execution without adequate safeguards.

The cases form part of consolidated petitions challenging key provisions of the 2024, 2025, and 2026 General Appropriations Acts. Critics question the legality of unprogrammed appropriations and Special Accounts in the General Fund, claiming these have been expanded beyond constitutional limits.

Among the petitioners are former lawmakers Edcel Lagman, Koko Pimentel, and Pantaleon Alvarez, along with civic groups and other legislators.

They allege that Congress, through bicameral conference committees, inserted or increased allocations in a manner that bypassed legislative restrictions, resulting in substantial funding increases, including hundreds of billions of pesos under unprogrammed appropriations.

The High Court consolidated the petitions due to common legal issues involving congressional authority, budget execution, and constitutional constraints.

Oral arguments are scheduled to begin on 7 April at 9:30 a.m. at the En Banc Session Hall in Padre Faura, Manila, with a second hearing set for 21 April.