FILE PHOTO: Albay 1st District Rep. Edcel Lagman
MANILA, Philippines — A petition before the Supreme Court (SC) against against the additional P449.5-billion unprogrammed funds in the national budget is “very possible,” Albay 1st. dist. Rep. Edcel Lagman said on Tuesday.
Lagman slammed the added P449.5 billion worth of unprogrammed funds in the 2024 National Budget, calling it a “constitutional infirmity.”
“This year’s General Appropriations Act, which took effect on 01 January 2024, suffers a constitutional infirmity insofar as the bicameral conference committee inserted P449.5 billion in excess of the unprogrammed appropriations of P281.9 billion recommended by the President in the national budget or the National Expenditure Program,” said Lagman in a statement.
Lagman, when asked if he will file a petition before the SC, told INQUIRER.net that it is “very possible.”
“Consequently, a constitutional challenge before the Supreme Court is in order to cleanse the GAA of a fatal defect and give guidance to the Congress and the President in the future budget seasons,” said the lawmaker.
Lagman cited Section 25 of Article V of the Constitution, which stated that Congress could not raise appropriations prescribed by the President in the National Expenditure Program.
Marcos did not veto the P449.5-billion increase in unprogrammed funds, opting only to veto two items, namely the items on the Department of Justice Revolving Fund and the National Government’s Career Executive Service Development Program.