Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, December 22) — Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian said a Supreme Court ruling can help resolve the issue of unprogrammed appropriations and whether it is possible to increase it over the national budget proposed by the executive.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. already signed the ₱5.768 trillion national budget for 2024, including the increased ₱450 billion in unprogrammed funds introduced by the bicameral conference committee.
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\”If someone will file a case to clarify this or whether to challenge that unprogrammed funds, makakatulong in a way dahil may final resolution,\” Gatchalian told reporters on Friday. \”Depende kung meron magfa-file ng case against the unprogrammed funds.\”
[Translation: If someone will file a case to clarify this or whether to challenge that unprogrammed funds, it could help in a way because of a final resolution. It would depend if someone would file a case against the unprogrammed funds.]
Senate Minority Leader Koko Pimentel earlier flagged the sudden hike of the unprogrammed funds in next year’s budget from the proposed ₱281.9 billion to ₱731.4 billion after the bicameral conference.
Former Sen. Panfilo Lacson said it could be “a very bad precedent” for future national expenditure programs.
He added that the Supreme Court should clarify Article VI, Section 25 of the 1987 Constitution which states that Congress may not increase the appropriations recommended by the President.
But Sen. Sonny Angara, chairperson of the Committee on Finance, defended the hike, saying this will still depend on the government’s revenue or tax collections.
Gatchalian explained typical sources for unprogrammed funds would be when the government sells its assets or there would be revenue measures coming next year.
\”Hindi porket unprogrammed siya, walang nakikitang pagkukunan (Just because it’s unprogrammed there would be no potential source), it’s also important that there are revenue measures being discussed and hopefully that would be approved in the year,\” he said. \”It has to be realistic as well.\”
