Palace confident P6.79 trillion 2026 budget will pass legal scrutiny

Malacañang is confident that the P6.793 trillion national budget for 2026 will pass legal scrutiny, asserting it is the "cleanest" and "most well-organized" budget to date.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed the budget into law and vetoed seven out of ten line items under unprogrammed appropriations (UA) amounting to nearly P92.5 billion.

House Senior Deputy Minority Leader Edgar Erice plans to question the constitutionality of the UA before the Supreme Court, arguing that government expenditures must have clearly identified funding sources.

Presidential Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro stated that the administration is confident in the budget's legality and will respond to any legal challenges.

Unprogrammed appropriations are budget items that are only funded if the government generates excess revenues.

Some sectors have urged the removal of UA from the budget, citing concerns about potential abuses and anomalies.