The Supreme Court will resume oral arguments next month on petitions challenging the constitutionality of unprogrammed funds and Special Accounts in the General Fund under the 2024, 2025 and 2026 national budgets.
In an advisory, the High Court said hearings would continue on 2 June, 9 June and 16 June at the SC En Banc Session Hall in Manila.
The petitions question provisions involving unprogrammed appropriations and special accounts that petitioners said were inserted during bicameral conference committee deliberations, allegedly increasing the national budget beyond amounts approved by Congress.
Among the consolidated cases are petitions filed by former and incumbent lawmakers, including former Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman, former Camarines Sur Rep. Gabriel Bordado Jr., former Basilan Rep. Mujiv Hataman, former Sen. Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III and former House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez.
The petitioners are seeking to nullify an alleged P449.5-billion insertion in the 2024 budget, arguing the changes violated constitutional limits on appropriations.
Separate petitions also challenged amendments involving special accounts and unprogrammed appropriations in the 2025 and 2026 General Appropriations Acts.