Senate ready to defend constitutionality of unprogrammed funds – Sotto

Senate President Vicente Sotto III said the Senate is ready to defend the constitutionality of the unprogrammed appropriations (UA) in the 2026 national budget that has been questioned before the Supreme Court (SC).

- By MARC JAYSON CAYABYAB

The petition was filed by Caloocan Rep. Edgar Erice and Mamamayang Liberal party-list Rep. Leila de Lima, who questioned the constitutionality of UA and sought a temporary restraining order against its use.

"I'm very confident the SC will uphold the budget and favor it. Unprogrammed funds are constitutionally valid based on SC decisions," Sotto said in a Zoom press briefing yesterday.

Sotto said there is legal basis for Congress to give the national government standby funds that it can tap into for priority projects, but only if there are excess revenues or loans.

While the Senate made its version of the budget clean already, President Marcos trimmed it further by vetoing seven UA items and retaining only three.

Sotto said the petitioners were just "nitpicking" when they assailed the legality of UA before the SC.