Ched Rick Gatchalian

Edgar Erice files a petition for certiorari and TRO against Comelec and Miru Systems contract for the 2025 automated elections at the Supreme Court. Adrian Ayalin, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

Lawmaker to question unprogrammed appropriations in 2026 budget before Supreme Court

Vivienne Gulla

ABS-CBN News

<p>MANILA — House Senior Deputy Minority Leader and Caloocan City 2nd District Rep. Edgar Erice will question before the Supreme Court the remaining unprogrammed appropriations in the 2026 national budget.</p><p>President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has vetoed nearly P92.5 billion from the over P200 billion unprogrammed appropriations proposed by Congress. </p><p>But for Erice, this is not enough, stressing that such allocation is “unconstitutional”.</p><p>“All unprogrammed funds, in any form, are unconstitutional. So I will have to challenge it before the Supreme Court. (00:58) We’re already dafting the petition. Mahalaga rin na matuldukan na ito, ma-define na talaga ng Korte Suprema kung talaga bang ang ganitong uri ng pagba-budget na walang katapat na source of financing ay labag sa ating Konstitusyon,” Erice said.</p><p>&quot;‘Yung P43 billion doon, dapat nasa programmed funds, ‘yung para sa mga teachers&#x27; gratuity pay… ‘Yung local government shares sa national taxes, dapat ‘yun sa programmed funds, kasi wala pang siguradong pagkukunan ng pondo ‘yan eh. Bakit hindi mo inilagay doon sa programmed, para mabayaran mo ang mga teacher, para mabayaran mo ‘yung local government na share nila, sapagkat ito ay mandatory obligations. Kung hindi makapag-raise ng additional revenue, anong ibig sabihin noon? Susubain ng gobyerno ang mga teacher at ang local government share. Diyan ako tumututol sa ganyang sistema,” he added.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/1/5/marcos-jr-signs-p6-79-t-national-budget-for-2026-1008">Marcos signs P6.79-T budget for 2026, vetoes P92-B unprogrammed funds</a></div><p>ML Party List Representative Leila de Lima shares Erice’s view, saying unprogrammed appropriations “bypass constitutional safeguards”.</p><p>“Vetoing a considerably significant amount—or any amount—in unprogrammed appropriations is NOT the point. It is still “shadow pork”... They lack definite and identifiable revenue sources, bypass constitutional safeguards, and surrender congressional power of the purse to executive discretion,” she said in a statement.</p><p>“Isa pa: inamin mismo ni ES and former Finance Secretary Ralph Recto na halos wala na raw excess revenue to be collected. So, hindi po ba illogical nang magka-UAs, in the first place?” De Lima added.</p><div> </div><div><strong>PORK?</strong></div><p>Congressmen from the Makabayan bloc criticized the 2026 General Appropriations Act signed by the President, saying it “perpetuates the pork barrel system, patronage politics, and systemic corruption in government.”</p><p>In a joint statement, ACT Teachers Party List Representative Antonio Tinio, Gabriela Party List Representative Sarah Elago, and Kabataan Party List Representative Renee Co, tagged the President’s veto of P92.5 billion in unprogrammed appropriations as a “token gesture meant to distract from billions in pork barrel funds.”</p><p>“The President&#x27;s much-touted veto of ₱92.5 billion in Unprogrammed Appropriations is nothing but *pampalubag-loob*—a token gesture meant to distract from the billions in pork barrel funds that remain untouched in the signed budget,” they said.</p><p>“By refusing to veto the DPWH &#x27;allocables,&#x27; President Marcos has ensured the continuation of the most entrenched system of corruption in government—one that involves lawmakers, DPWH officials, and private contractors in a well-oiled machinery of kickbacks, overpricing, and ghost projects… The President&#x27;s refusal to touch this system reveals his true priority: maintaining Malacañang&#x27;s hold on Congress through the distribution of billions in infrastructure funds. Walang tunay na reporma, walang tunay na pagbabago. Only the preservation of a corrupt system that keeps him in power,” the bloc added.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/1/5/marcos-vetoes-nearly-p92-5-b-worth-of-unprogrammed-appropriations-for-2026-1039">Marcos vetoes nearly P92.5-B worth of unprogrammed appropriations for 2026</a></div><p>“Confidential and intelligence funds exceeding ₱11 billion remain in the budget, with no transparency or accountability for how these funds are spent.Band-aid assistance programs that fuel patronage politics have been massively bloated: ₱63.9 billion for AICS, ₱51.6 billion for MAIFIP, and ₱22.4 billion for TUPAD. These are not solutions to poverty, unemployment, or lack of healthcare. These are tools for vote-buying and political control. These dole outs are not solutions to long-standing problems of poverty and underdevelopment. The people need jobs with living wages, free and quality healthcare, genuine land reform, and national industrialization to spur economic development,” Makabayan solons said.</p><div> </div><div><strong>HOUSE MOOE</strong></div><p>House Committee on Appropriations Vice Chairperson and Batangas 1st District Representative Leandro Leviste, meanwhile, questioned the P18.58 billion budget  for the House of Representatives’ maintenance and other operating expenses (MOOE) next year.</p><p>He claimed that a huge part of it goes to expenses that are difficult to audit without detailed liquidation and itemized disclosure. Leviste said these include expenses on travel, communication, representation and professional services, advertising, training and scholarship, printing, transportation, rent, membership dues, subscription, and donations.</p><p>“Sa P18.58 billion, may mga line items na utilities, supplies, mga ibang mga reasonableng mga gastusin na baka P3.4 billion. So sabihin na po natin may 15 billion pesos na hindi malinaw kung saan na pupunta. (01:09) Nag-request din ako sa Committee on Accounts ng breakdown kung saan napupunta ba ang MOOE budget. At nasabihan po ako na huwag nang magtanong dahil tila ito po ang pinakasensitibong issue sa Kongreso,” Leviste said.</p><p>But Erice defended the House MOOE budget, saying there is “nothing wrong” with it, and that some congressmen even have to shell out their own money to help fund operations in their respective districts.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/1/2/-unfair-misrepresentation-more-house-members-reject-leviste-s-allegation-of-p2-m-christmas-bonus-1953">‘Unfair, misrepresentation’: More House members reject Leviste’s allegation of P2-M Christmas bonus</a></div><p>He confirmed Leviste’s claim that congressmen receive P1.5 million before breaks and P2 million in December, but denied that these are “bonuses”. Erice said there are receipts to prove that these funds were used for operations, but admitted they congressmen are not required to submit the receipts to the Commission on Audit.</p><p>“Hindi ito bonus. Wala nga kaming 13th month pay na mga congressman… Siguro, baka na-interpret, dahil wala kaming 13-month pay, ito ‘yung bonus. Hindi naman ganun. Mas malaki lang ngayong December. Kasi nga, magbabayad kami ng 13th month pay ng aming mga district staff members,” Erice explained.</p><p>“Mayroon monthly, pero every break mayroong mas malaki na MOOE. At ‘yan naman ay commensurate lang o kulang pa nga doon sa aming gastusin sa aming district offices. Kasi mayroon kami sariling payroll sa aming mga district offices. Mayroon kami binabayaran na renta at utilities sa aming district offices… Kami rin ang nananagot ng supplies and equipment and furnishings ng aming mga tanggapan, hindi lang sa aming district office, pati sa Kongreso… At marami pa. ‘Yung aming legal research, ‘yung aming consultations, ‘yung aming mga public hearings, kami ang gumagastos niyan. </p><p>&quot;Mayroon kaming resibo ng aming binabayarang mga tanggapan, water, electricity, kumpleto ‘yan, gasolina, kumpleto ‘yan… Halimbawa, mayroong lumalapit sa amin, namatayan, hindi makapagpalibing, o may mga kailangan gamot na hindi na makakapaghintay, ambulatory mga equipments na hihingi sa aming tulong,”  he added.</p><p>“Walang masama. And we can account every single centavo. At makikita nyo na kapag in-account namin, sobra pa ‘yung gastos namin, pati ‘yung aming salary, yung personal salary namin na dapat para sa pamilya namin, nauubos din dito,” Erice stressed.</p><p>“Wala kaming ipinapasa sa COA. Sa rules ng ever since na maging congressman ako, hindi kami nagli-liquidate sa COA… Sine-certify na namin. Na nagastos namin ito sa district offices,” he noted.</p><p>Leviste urged the House Committee on Accounts and his colleagues at the House of Representatives to make public the breakdown of where their MOOE budget was spent.</p>

<p>House Senior Deputy Minority Leader and Caloocan City 2nd District Rep. Edgar Erice will question before the Supreme Court the remaining unprogrammed appropriations in the 2026 national budget.</p>

House Senior Deputy Minority Leader and Caloocan City 2nd District Rep. Edgar Erice will question before the Supreme Court the remaining unprogrammed appropriations in the 2026 national budget.