Philippine court voids 2024-2025 budgets over excessive unprogrammed spending
Supreme Court finds Congress breached constitutional limits by adding billions in standby appropriations without proper safeguards.
At a glance
- Congress added ₱449.5 billion in unprogrammed appropriations to 2024 budget, exceeding presidential proposal
- Court found lawmakers reclassified regular budget items as unprogrammed to create extra spending room
- Unprogrammed funds require constitutional safeguards but are not inherently unconstitutional, court said
- Ruling also struck down 2025 Special Road Fund increase and certain 2026 provisions
The Philippine Supreme Court has ruled that Congress violated constitutional authority by adding ₱449.5 billion in unprogrammed appropriations to the 2024 national budget, exceeding the amount proposed by President Marcos. Unprogrammed funds are standby allocations released only if additional revenue becomes available.
The Court determined that while such funds are not inherently unconstitutional, Congress must establish clear limits, priorities and safeguards to prevent uncontrolled spending. The ruling also invalidated a ₱17.99-billion increase in the 2025 Special Road Fund and certain 2026 budget provisions.
Why it matters
The decision clarifies constitutional limits on congressional budget authority and establishes requirements for standby appropriations, affecting how future budgets are structured.
Original reporting
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