The Supreme Court ruling declaring certain provisions of the 2024 and 2025 national budgets unconstitutional comes at an opportune time, as the Senate scrutinizes the House version of the 2027 budget bill, Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson said.

Lacson said the High Court’s ruling underscored the constitutional limits on Congress’ power to alter the National Expenditure Program (NEP).

In Filipino: Lacson: SC Ruling sa 2024, 2025 Budgets Napapanahon Habang Sinusuri ng Senado ang House Version ng 2027 Budget Bill

“One good thing about the Supreme Court ruling is its timing. It couldn’t have come at a better time when the House version of the 2027 General Appropriations Bill is undergoing scrutiny by the Senate,” he said.

“I wish to emphasize that I was not part of the Senate when the 2024 and 2025 GAA’s were passed by Congress,” he added.

Lacson earlier said that more “iyakan” (crying) among members of the House of Representatives looms as the Senate looks into red flags in the House version of the budget bill.

He said the Senate may restore “hundreds of billions” of pesos in cuts and realignments by the House, including changes to funds for Foreign-Assisted Projects (FAPs) and additional funding for flood control projects.

Also, Lacson said the Supreme Court ruling sealed the 2024 and 2025 national budgets’ place in history as the worst ever since the high court declared unconstitutional the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP) under the 2013 GAA.

“The 2024 and 2025 GAAs will go down in history as the worst budgets ever passed by Congress after the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP) under the 2013 GAA was also declared unconstitutional by the SC,” he said.

On the possible consequences of the ruling, Lacson said: “That being said, as far as I know, the possible consequences are – those that remain unspent may not be disbursed anymore; those already spent may not be invalidated.”

The DAP was also at the center of controversy following the impeachment trial of the late Chief Justice Renato Corona, when senators were reportedly offered P50 million worth of projects each. Lacson declined the offer.

In a 121-page decision, the SC declared as unconstitutional some provisions of the 2024 and 2025 national budgets, as well as key unprogrammed appropriations in the 2026 budget.

The SC said Congress committed grave abuse of discretion by increasing the Executive Branch’s recommended budget for unprogrammed funds from P281.9 billion in the National Expenditure Program (NEP) to P731.4 billion in the enacted 2024 budget.

It said Congress is constitutionally prohibited from increasing the president’s total recommended appropriations in the Budget of Expenditures and Sources of Financing, which covers both programmed and unprogrammed appropriations.

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Lacson: SC Ruling sa 2024, 2025 Budgets Napapanahon Habang Sinusuri ng Senado ang House Version ng 2027 Budget Bill

Napapanahon ang desisyon ng Korte Suprema na nagdeklara sa ilang probisyon ng pambansang badyet para sa 2024 at 2025 bilang unconstitutional, ngayong sinusuri ng Senado ang bersyon ng Kamara ng panukalang badyet para sa 2027, ayon kay Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson.

Ani Lacson, binigyang-diin ng desisyon ng Kataas-taasang Hukuman ang mga limitasyong itinatakda ng Konstitusyon sa kapangyarihan ng Kongreso na baguhin ang National Expenditure Program (NEP).

“One good thing about the Supreme Court ruling is its timing. It couldn’t have come at a better time when the House version of the 2027 General Appropriations Bill is undergoing scrutiny by the Senate,” aniya.

“I wish to emphasize that I was not part of the Senate when the 2024 and 2025 GAA’s were passed by Congress,” dagdag ni Lacson, na mahigpit na bantay ng kaban ng bayan.

Nauna nang sinabi ni Lacson na mas marami pang “iyakan” sa hanay ng mga miyembro ng Kamara ang maaaring mangyari habang sinusuri ng Senado ang mga red flag sa bersyon ng Kamara ng panukalang badyet.

Sinabi niyang maaaring ibalik ng Senado ang daang bilyong pisong binawas o inilipat ng Kamara sa iba’t ibang pondo, kabilang ang para sa Foreign-Assisted Projects (FAPs) at karagdagang pondo para sa mga proyektong flood control.

Ani Lacson, dahil sa desisyon ng Korte Suprema, maitatala sa kasaysayan ang mga pambansang badyet para sa 2024 at 2025 bilang pinakamasahol na naipasa ng Kongreso, kasunod ng pagdedeklara ng Kataas-taasang Hukuman na labag sa Konstitusyon ang Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP) sa ilalim ng 2013 General Appropriations Act (GAA).

“The 2024 and 2025 GAAs will go down in history as the worst budgets ever passed by Congress after the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP) under the 2013 GAA was also declared unconstitutional by the SC,” aniya.

“That being said, as far as I know, the possible consequences are – those that remain unspent may not be disbursed anymore; those already spent may not be invalidated,” dagdag niya.

Naging sentro rin ng kontrobersiya ang DAP matapos ang paglilitis sa impeachment ni yumaong Chief Justice Renato Corona, nang iulat na inalok ang mga senador ng tig-P50 milyong halaga ng mga proyekto. Tinanggihan ni Lacson ang alok.

Sa isang 121-pahinang desisyon, idineklara ng Korte Suprema na labag sa Konstitusyon ang ilang probisyon ng mga pambansang badyet para sa 2024 at 2025, gayundin ang mahahalagang unprogrammed appropriations sa badyet para sa 2026.

Ayon sa Korte Suprema, nagkaroon ng grave abuse of discretion ang Kongreso nang palakihin nito ang inirekomendang pondo ng Executive Branch para sa unprogrammed appropriations mula P281.9 bilyon sa National Expenditure Program (NEP) tungo sa P731.4 bilyon sa pinagtibay na badyet para sa 2024.

Binigyang-diin ng Korte na ipinagbabawal ng Konstitusyon sa Kongreso na dagdagan ang kabuuang pondong inirekomenda ng Pangulo sa Budget of Expenditures and Sources of Financing, na sumasaklaw sa programmed at unprogrammed appropriations.

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