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Elizabeth Marcelo - The Philippine Star
January 24, 2026 | 12:00am
The main building of the Philippine Supreme Court in Manila as taken on Dec. 13, 2024.
Philstar.com / Martin Ramos
MANILA, Philippines — The Supreme Court has set oral arguments on April 8 and April 22 on the four consolidated petitions for certiorari assailing the legality of unprogrammed appropriations and special accounts in the 2024, 2025 and 2026 national budgets.
In a press release issued yesterday, SC spokesperson Camille Ting said the oral arguments on both dates will be held at the SC Session Hall in Baguio City at 10 a.m.
Prior to the oral arguments, a preliminary conference will be held on Feb. 4 at the SC Session Hall in Manila.
The petitioners were specifically seeking the nullification of various adjustments made by the bicameral conference committees in the General Appropriations Act (GAA) for 2024, 2025 and 2026, which effectively inflated the government’s national budget for those years.
In two of the four petitions set for oral arguments, former Albay 1st District representative Edcel Lagman, incumbent Camarines Sur 3rd District Rep. Gabriel Bordado Jr., Basilan Rep. Mujiv Hataman, former senator Koko Pimentel and Davao del Norte 1st District Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez sought to declare as unconstitutional the bicameral insertion of P449.5 billion in the 2024 GAA.
In another petition, the group Filipinos for Peace, Justice and Progress Movement Inc. (FPJPM) assailed the alleged amendments made to the Special Accounts in the General Fund of the 2025 GAA.
The SC noted that among the provisions in the 2025 GAA being questioned by the FPJPM was the increased line-item appropriation for the Department of Public Works and Highways’ Special Road Fund to P34.748 billion from P16.756 billion.
