Jamaine Punzalan

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. signs the General Appropriations Act (GAA) for Fiscal Year 2026 at the Ceremonial Hall of Malacañang on January 5, 2026. Yummie Dingding, PPA Pool

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MARCOS

Harlene Delgado

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/176913162537020260105-marcos-gaa-signing-PPA43.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. signs the General Appropriations Act (GAA) for Fiscal Year 2026 at the Ceremonial Hall of Malacañang on January 5, 2026. Yummie Dingding, PPA Pool</span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><p>MANILA — The Supreme Court en banc has set the oral arguments on petitions questioning specific provisions of the national budgets for 2024, 2025 and 2026.</p><p>In a press release on Friday, the SC’s Office of the Spokesperson said the oral arguments were scheduled on April 8, 2026, Wednesday, 10 a.m. and April 22, 2026, Wednesday, 10 a.m. at the Session Hall of the Supreme Court in Baguio. </p><p>Prior to this, a preliminary conference will be held on February 4, 2026 at the SC Session Hall in Manila.</p><p>The SC said the petitioners consisting of legislators, taxpayers, and concerned citizens seek to “nullify various adjustments made by the Bicameral Conference Committees that inflated the national budget for three consecutive years”, which involved unprogrammed appropriations and special accounts.</p><p>One of the petitions was filed by the late lawmaker Edcel Lagman, Camarines Sur Rep. Gabriel Bordado, Jr., Basilan Rep. Mujiv Hataman, former senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, and congressman Pantaleon “Bebot” Alvarez seeking to declare as unconstitutional the bicameral insertion of P449.5 billion in the 2024 General Appropriations Act (GAA).</p><p>The group Filipinos for Peace, Justice, and Progress Movement Inc. (FPJPM) also filed a petition assailing the amendments allegedly made to the Special Accounts in the General Fund and other appropriations in the 2025 GAA.</p><p>“FPJPM also said that the 2025 GAA increased the line-item appropriation for the Department of Public Works and Highways’ Special Road Fund from P16.756 billion to P34.748 billion,” the SC noted.</p><p>Also included in the consolidated petitions is the filing of Caloocan Second District Rep. Edgar Erice and Mamamayang Liberal (ML) party-list Rep. Leila de Lima questioning the constitutionality of unprogrammed appropriations in the 2026 national budgets.</p><p>The lawmakers, according to the SC, argued in the petition that the 2026 GAA provisions that allow for unprogrammed appropriations “must be declared null and void for being unconstitutional.”</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/1/8/2-lawmakers-file-sc-petition-to-declare-2026-unprogrammed-funds-unconstitutional-1120">2 lawmakers file SC petition to declare 2026 unprogrammed funds unconstitutional</a></div><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/1/6/palace-confident-2026-budget-is-cleanest-spending-law-as-solon-mulls-sc-challenge-1359">Palace &#x27;confident&#x27; 2026 budget is &#x27;cleanest&#x27; spending law </a></div><div><iframe width="830" height="467" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/YK71X0vFMgE" title="Marcos signs P6.79 trillion national budget for 2026 | ABS-CBN News" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><iframe width="729" height="410" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/69okrxZgLwo" title="FULL: What Win, Mika said after concluding bicam for 2026 budget | ABS-CBN News" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>

<p>The Supreme Court en banc has set on April 8 and 22 the oral arguments on four consolidated petitions questioning specific provisions in the national budget for 2026 and two previous years. </p>

The Supreme Court en banc has set on April 8 and 22 the oral arguments on four consolidated petitions questioning specific provisions in the national budget for 2026 and two previous years.

SC sets oral arguments on petitions questioning national budgets

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SC sets oral arguments on petitions questioning national budgets

Harlene Delgado,

ABS-CBN News

Published Jan 23, 2026 09:27 AM PHT

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Updated Jan 23, 2026 10:31 AM PHT

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