2026 national budget to be challenged before SC?

National

A LEGAL challenge against the 2026 General Appropriations Act is shaping up after opposition lawmakers signaled plans to bring the issue before the Supreme Court, questioning the constitutionality of provisions they say violate fundamental budget rules.

House Senior Deputy Minority Leader and Caloocan 2nd district Rep. Edgar Erice said the minority bloc is preparing a petition assailing the inclusion of unprogrammed funds in the newly signed national budget. He argued that such allocations, which lack clearly identified funding sources, run afoul of the Constitution.

In a report by Philstar, Erice said the group is finalizing its legal strategy and wants the high court to set firm boundaries on how future budgets are crafted. He stressed that allowing unprogrammed funds to persist opens the door to abuse and undermines fiscal discipline, warning that the practice must be checked decisively.

Other members of the minority echoed the criticism, framing the 2026 budget as a continuation of long-standing political practices they say fuel corruption.

Representatives Renee Louise Co, Sarah Jane Elago and Antonio Tinio said the spending measure entrenches pork barrel politics and sustains patronage networks within government.

The lawmakers dismissed President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s veto of P92.5 billion in unprogrammed appropriations as largely symbolic.

In a joint statement, they said the move failed to address the bulk of discretionary funds that remain embedded in the budget.

Their sharpest criticism focused on so-called “allocables” — discretionary funds reportedly channeled through the Department of Public Works and Highways and distributed to legislators.

The group said these allocations were left untouched by the veto and continue to operate with minimal transparency.

According to the minority bloc, the refusal to strike down these provisions perpetuates what they described as an entrenched system involving lawmakers, government officials and private contractors. They alleged this system enables kickbacks, inflated project costs and even fictitious infrastructure projects.(Xienderlyn Trinidad, USJ-R Comm Intern)

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