MANILA – The Supreme Court has instructed Congress and the Executive branch to submit their comments on a petition challenging the constitutionality of the 2025 General Appropriations Act (GAA), also known as RA 12116.

In its en banc session on Tuesday, the Court addressed the petition filed against Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, and Senate President Francis Escudero. The petitioners, former executive secretary Victor Rodriguez, Isidro Ungab, and Rogelio Mendoza, argue that the GAA violates the Constitution by failing to allocate mandatory funds for PhilHealth, unlawfully increasing appropriations beyond the President’s proposals, and prioritizing infrastructure over education.

They also claimed the 2025 GAA’s Bicameral Committee Report included blank items. However, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has repeatedly stated that no blank items exist in the national budget. He emphasized this during the 20th National Convention of Lawyers in Cebu on January 30, explaining that he personally reviewed all 4,057 pages of the bill before making veto decisions.

Escudero dismissed the accusations as unfounded, pointing to the extensive legislative process involved. On Monday, Acting House Appropriations Chair Stella Quimbo reassured the public that the final enrolled bill contained no blank items and was open for verification.

The SC has set a 10-day deadline for Congress and the Executive to respond.

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By Liza Soriano

MANILA — President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. assured that there are no blanks in the 2025 General Appropriations Act (GAA).

Marcos emphasized that he had thoroughly reviewed and analyzed the 2025 budget and found no such issues.

“Just last month, I had to read 4,057 pages of the General Appropriations Act of 2025. I reviewed it, analyzed it, and yes—in some parts, vetoed it,” he said.

“I am truly convinced that blanks simply do not exist, because they are not allowed. So for those who think the presidency is all about handshakes and photo ops, I assure you, that fine print is very much alive in my office as well.”

The GAA is currently being challenged in the Supreme Court, with petitioners asking the Court to declare it unconstitutional.

Vic Rodriguez, one of the petitioners, called the GAA “illegal and criminal.”

“Inscribed in the 1987 Constitution of the Philippines are the following constitutional directives which must serve as a guide in this Petition for Certiorari. These directives were blatantly violated by the passage of Republic Act No. 12116, which must be struck down as unconstitutional through the Supreme Court’s power of judicial review,” he said.

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By Liezelle Soriano

MANILA — President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has assured that the 2025 national budget will be properly implemented.

“The President is really earnest about ensuring the proper implementation of the budget—the surviving parts of the budget,” Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin said on Friday (January 24, 2025).

Bersamin made the statement following the DBM Budget Forum on Budget Execution for Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) in Pasay City.

Meanwhile, Bersamin clarified that Malacañang had no involvement in the alleged blank pages in the bicameral conference committee on the national budget.

“Let’s remove from your consciousness the idea that we had anything to do with the blank pages you’re referring to,” he said.

“That’s why we resented the impression that the President was given a blank check,” he added.

Former president Rodrigo Duterte had earlier alleged that there were blank items in the General Appropriations Act (GAA) without specified projects or funding.

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