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EJ Macababbad - The Philippine Star
January 10, 2026 | 12:00am
Reps. Leila de Lima (ML Party-list) and Edgar Erice (Caloocan, 2nd District) file a petition for certiorari and prohibition before the Supreme Court, challenging the constitutionality of the unprogrammed appropriations on Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026.
News5 / Camille Samonte
MANILA, Philippines — A Supreme Court ruling on the illegality of unprogrammed funds may lead to the permanent removal of unprogrammed appropriations (UA) in the annual national budget, according to Caloocan 2nd district Rep. Edgar Erice.
Erice, along with Mamamayang Liberal party-list Rep. Leila de Lima, filed a petition on Thursday asking the Supreme Court to strike down the P150.9-billion UA remaining in the 2026 outlay.
The Department of Budget and Management has touted this year’s unprogrammed funds to be the lowest in seven years, but President Marcos’ first enacted budget in 2023 contained P807 billion.
The removal of UA, which both lawmakers argued is violative of constitutional principles on public finance, budget accountability and Congress’ power of the purse, will benefit the country in the long run.
“In general terms, if the Supreme Court sides with us, the ruling will remove all unprogrammed funds this year and not only now, but also in the coming years,” Erice yesterday told The STAR’s online show “Truth on the Line.”
Erice said the presence of unprogrammed funds in the spending program worsened the country’s situation over the past three years, as evident by the flood control mess that has metastasized since the latter half of 2025.
“What the 19th Congress did in 2023, 2024 and 2025, they removed the important items in the National Expenditure Program,” the Caloocan lawmaker claimed.
“They replaced it with anomalous and ghost flood control projects, as well as highly overpriced purchases like cat’s eyes on the roads, railings and streetlights,” he said.
Erice, a member of the opposition Liberal Party, also believes that the House bungled its impeachment drive against Vice President Sara Duterte due to the budget, and many now have a lesser appetite to impeach her again.
“In the last Congress, the congressmen were incentivized to really pursue Sara,” he said.
