DAVAO City Third District Representative Isidro C. Ungab has urged the Supreme Court to scrutinize the 2025 General Appropriations Act (GAA) due to the presence of blank items in the Bicameral Report. He believes this warrants a legal determination regarding the budget's constitutionality.
DAVAO City Third District Representative Isidro C. Ungab has called for the Supreme Court to review the 2025 General Appropriations Act (GAA), particularly highlighting the presence of blank items in the Bicameral Report. Ungab asserted that the time has come to seek the Supreme Court 's adjudication on the matter, emphasizing the need for a definitive ruling based on the provided data and facts.
Earlier, a 25-page petition for certiorari and prohibition, filed by lawyer Vic Rodriguez, Ungab, and others, urged the Supreme Court to declare the 2025 budget unconstitutional. Ungab stated that the legal team, led by Rodriguez, has thoroughly examined the legality, constitutionality, validity, and other aspects surrounding the 2025 GAA, including his own input and concerns.He underscored the most pressing issue: the DPWH budget exceeding the DepEd budget, despite the 1987 Constitution mandating the greatest investment in education.Former House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez characterized the situation in Congress as 'irregular,' noting that this marked the first time in his congressional service that such an issue had arisen. He explained that previous House speakers, including himself, refrained from interfering with the budget approved by the plenary. Alvarez claimed that evidence revealed multiple blank items in the Bicameral Report, raising questions about how these blanks were filled in the enrolled bill. He alleged that alterations were made during the printing stage, deviating from the plenary's approval. He further expressed concern that the bill reached Malacañang as a completed document, deeming this inappropriate.Alvarez emphasized that only the House Speaker, the appropriations committee chairman, or the secretary general possess the authority to amend the bill. He stressed that if the Bicameral Report contained blanks and the committee approved the bill despite those omissions, the enrolled bill should have also reflected those blanks. He asserted that such irregularities would never have occurred during his tenure as Speaker, considering this act criminal. Following the SC complaint filing, Alvarez expressed confidence in the government's systems, particularly the judiciary, hoping they would remain uninfluenced by the administration, unlike other agencies. Ungab echoed this sentiment, stating that the SC would promptly address their complaint due to their 'very high trust in the judiciary.' He clarified that this constituted their only recourse, as the bill had already been signed by the president. Alvarez stated that if the bill is deemed null and void, government operations would not cease, as a reenacted budget would be implemented to prioritize essential functions.He also hinted at the possibility of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) withholding budget releases. Responding to Representative Stella Quimbo's acknowledgment of blanks in the report, Ungab asserted that if these blanks were intended for predetermined amounts, they should have been filled in. He further highlighted the omnibus motion, which permits technical staff to rectify grammatical, typographical, and printing errors. However, he differentiated the filling of blanks for substantial amounts from mere corrections. Alvarez reiterated the Bicameral Report's significance, emphasizing its role in reconciling budget differences between the Congress and Senate. He insisted that the enrolled bill should faithfully reflect the agreed-upon terms in the report. Consequently, if the Bicameral Report contains blanks, the GAA should similarly be blank. Ungab affirmed this stance, stating that creating an enrolled bill without a complete Bicameral Report would be impossible
SUPREME COURT 2025 BUDGET GENERAL APPROPRIATIONS ACT BLANK ITEMS BICOLAMERAL REPORT CONSTITUTIONALITY DAVAO CITY
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