SC: Oral arguments on Maharlika, 2025 budget petitions set for April

The Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday announced it has set the oral arguments for the petitions challenging the General Appropriations Act of Fiscal Year 2025 and the Maharlika Investment Fund (MIF) of 2023 for April.

In a briefing, SC spokesperson Atty. Camille Ting said the SC scheduled the oral arguments for the petition filed by former executive secretary and senatorial aspirant Vic Rodriguez to declare the 2025 national budget as unconstitutional on April 1.

This will be held at the En Banc Session Hall, SC Baguio Compound.

Other petitioners are Davao City 3rd District Representative Isidro Ungab, Rogelio Mendoza, Benito Ching Jr., Redemberto Villanueva, Roseller dela Peña, Santos Catubay, and Dominic Solis.

The petition alleges irregularities and blank items in the bicameral conference committee report on the 2025 national budget.

According to an advisory issued by the SC on February 18, the preliminary issues that will be tackled are the following: 

• Whether the petitioners have legal standing to sue
• Whether the issues raised involve an actual and justiciable controversy 
• Whether the petitioners’ direct resort to the court is proper
• Whether the issue of constitutionality is the lis mota (Latin term for cause or motivation of a legal action) of the case

The substantive issues are: 

• Whether the GAA violates Section 15, Article II of the Constitution in relation to Section 10 to 11 and 37 of the Universal Health Care Act
• Whether the 2025 GAA violates Section 25 (1), Article VI of the Constitution
• Whether the 2025 GAA violates Section 5(5), Article XIV of the Constitution which mandates the highest budgetary priority to be given to education
• Whether the 2025 GAA violates Section 27, Article VI of the Constitution when the members of the Bicameral Conference Committee submitted a report on the GAB with blank items

The SC said the preliminary conference will be held on February 28.  

Meanwhile, the oral arguments on the petition seeking the declaration of the MIF as unconstitutional and void was set for April 22, Tuesday at the En Banc Session Hall in Baguio.

Ting said the SC also impleaded (added as a third party) the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), the Land Bank of the Philippines, and the Development Bank of the Philippines as respondents.

It directed them to file their comments within 10 days from receipt of notice.

The petition was filed by Bayan Muna chairman Neri Colmenares, and former Bayan Muna Representatives Isagani Zarate and Ferdinand Gaite, and Senate Minority Leader Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III in September 2023.

The petitioners argued that MIF failed to satisfy the test of economic viability, violated the independence of the BSP, and that the presidential certification of the MIF bill in the House of Representatives and in the Senate did not comply with the requirements under the Philippine Constitution. — RF/VBL, GMA Integrated News