SC to Congress, Palace: Submit copies of GAA

The Supreme Court (SC) has ordered the Senate, the House of Representatives and Malacañang to submit by Feb. 24 the original copies of the 2025 General Appropriations Act and its corresponding enrolled bill following a petition challenging the validity of the GAA.

- DAPHNE GALVEZ

In a Feb. 18 advisory made public on Feb. 20, the SC ordered the submission of the documents pursuant to the preliminary conference it will conduct on the petition on Feb. 28.

The petition alleges that the GAA is unconstitutional for failing to allocate mandatory funding for the Philippine Health Insurance Corp., unlawfully increasing appropriations beyond the President's recommendations, and allocating the highest budget to public works instead of education.

The petitioners also cited alleged irregularities and supposed blank items in the bicameral conference committee report.

The SC has set the oral arguments for the petition on April 1 at the SC Baguio Compound.

The petitioners are Davao City 3rd District Rep. Isidro Ungab, former executive secretary Vic Rodriguez, Rogelio Mendoza, Benito Ching Jr., Redemberto Villanueva, Roseller dela Peña, Santos Catubay and Dominic Solis.

An enrolled bill is considered the final copy of the bill, which will then be printed and certified as correct by the secretaries general of the Senate and the House of Representatives. It will then be signed by the Speaker and the Senate President.

A reenacted 2024 national budget won't be good for the country’s economy, former Senate president Franklin Drilon warned yesterday when asked about the possibility that the SC would declare the 2025 GAA as invalid.