MANILA, Philippines – Ibinigay sa Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) ang pagkomento sa inihaing petisyon sa Supreme Court hinggil sa sinasabing “unconstitutional provision” sa 2025 General Appropriation Act sanhi ng blankong entries.
Sa pahayag, sinabi ni Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero na kanyang inatasan ang OSG, bilang abogado ng pamahalaan, na hawakan ang kaso na palagi naman ginagawa ng Senado.
“I already referred the matter to the OSG to handle the case as we usually do,” ayon kay Escudero sa Viber message.
“The Senate will but through the OSG who is the legal representative of the Philippine government,” dagdag niya.
Kamakailan, inatasan ng Supreme Court si Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, ang Senate, at ang House of Representatives na tumugon sa petisyon na naghahamon sa constitutionality ng 2025 national budget.
Inihain ang e petition for certiorari and prohibition, nina dating former Executive Secretary at senatorial aspirant Vic Rodriguez, Davao City 3rd District Representative Isidro Ungab, atbp na pinangalanan sina Bersamin, Senate President Francis Escudero, at House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez bilang respondents.
Kaagad kumilos ang SC en banc nitong Martes na inatasan ang respondents ng non-extendible 10-day deadline na magsumite ng comments.
Ikinatuwiran ng petitioners na unconstitutional ang Republic Act No. 12116, o ang 2025 General Appropriations Act (GAA), hinggil sa blank items sa bicameral report.
Kasama dito ang paratang na:
1. fails to allocate mandatory funding for the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth),
2. unlawfully increases appropriations beyond the President’s recommendations,
3. and prioritizes infrastructure spending over education.
Naunang ibinulgar ni dating Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte at Ungab ang discrepancies sa bicameral report.
Kinumpirma din ni Acting House Appropriations Committee chairperson Stella Quimbo ang pagkakaroon ng blank items sa P6.325 trillion national budget bicameral report.
Pero, nilinaw niya na natukoy ang funding sa naturang items bago lagdaan ang bicameral conference committee report. Ernie Reyes
