MANILA, Philippines 鈥� The Supreme Court (SC) has asked the executive and legislative branches of government to comment on the petition challenging the constitutionality of Republic Act 12116 or the General Appropriations Act of 2025.
Respondents were given 10 non-extendible days to submit their comment from receipt of notice.
Named respondents are the House of Representatives represented by Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, Senate of the Philippines represented by Senate President Francis Escudero, and Executive Secretary Lucas P. Bersamin.
鈥淭he SC directed respondents House of Representatives, Senate, and Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin to comment on the petition within a non-extendible period of 10 days from receipt of notice,鈥� the Supreme Court鈥檚 Public Information Office said in a statement released after the court鈥檚 en banc (full court) session.
Petitioners include former executive secretary Victor D. Rodriguez, Davao Rep. Isidro T. Ungab, Rogelio A. Mendoza, Benito O. Ching Jr., Redemberto R. Villanueva, Roseller S. Dela Pena, Santos V. Catubay and Dominic C. M. Solis.
They raised several violations of the Constitution with the approval of the 2025 budget including the supposed blank items in the bicameral conference committee report of the spending plan.
The petitioners said the Bicameral Committee Report showed several blanks, particularly the budget allocations for the聽聽National Irrigation Administration (NIA), the Department of Agriculture, and the Philippine Coconut Authority.
鈥淭he Bicameral Conference Committee committed grave abuse of discretion amounting to lack or excess jurisdiction when it signed the committee report on 2025 National Budget filled with blanks,鈥� they said.