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Palace confident 2026 national budget will withstand SC scrutiny
House Senior Deputy Minority Leader Edgar Erice plans to question the constitutionality of the 2026 General Appropriations Act before the Supreme Court due to its inclusion of unprogrammed appropriations.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed the 2026 budget worth P6.793 trillion, but vetoed P92.5 billion in unprogrammed appropriations, leaving approximately P150.9 billion intact, the lowest since 2019.
Erice argues that all unprogrammed funds are unconstitutional and is having his legal team draft the petition.
Malacañang, through Palace Press Officer Clarissa A. Castro, stated they are ready to face any petitions filed against the 2026 national budget and await the Supreme Court's decision.
Unprogrammed appropriations are budget items that are only funded if there are excess government revenues or other funding sources like loans, and their excessive or opaque use can weaken transparency and accountability.
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See how different news organizations are covering this story. Below are the original articles from various Philippine news sources that contributed to this summary.
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.
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President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. signed the P6.793-trillion national budget for 2026, though his sister, Sen. Imee Marcos, claims he did not veto any spending items.
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President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. signed the P6.793-trillion national budget for 2026 into law on January 5.
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Multisectoral groups are flagging P633 billion in the bicameral-approved 2026 national budget as being at risk of corruption and patronage.
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Social Watch Philippines (SWP) is urging President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to veto P319.04 billion in questionable items from the ratified 2026 national budget.
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