Sara Duterte: Marcos should be held accountable for unprogrammed funds nixed by SC
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Vice President Sara Duterte during the Walang Gutom 2027: Food Stamp program launch at the Don Bosco Youth Center in Tondo, Manila on July 18, 2023. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News/file MANILA — Vice President Sara Duterte on Wednesday thanked the Supreme Court for striking down provisions in the 2024 and 2025 national budgets, saying the ruling is proof that the Marcos administration should be held accountable for the unlawful use of public funds.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday declared unconstitutional a P449.5-billion increase under the 2024 unprogrammed funds, a nearly P18-billion hike to the Special Road Fund under the 2025 budget, and a P12.57-billion additional allocation under the general fund of the 2026 national budget.
“Tama ang aking babala noong 2024 — na pinatunayan na rin ng desisyon ng Korte Suprema — na hindi na ginagawa ng Bicameral Conference Committee o Bicam ang trabaho nito,” she said.
(My warning in 2024 was correct — it has been proven by the Supreme Court decision — that the Bicameral Conference Committee is no longer doing its job.)
She said the committee, which has representatives from the House and Senate had become a “stamping pad” for what Malacañang wants on the national budget.
Duterte said her former runningmate and political ally must account for enacting a national budget very different from the National Expenditure Program.
“Dapat niyang sagutin kung bakit niya nilagdaan ang isang badyet na hindi naman tumutugma sa panukala ng kanyang sariling administrasyon.”
(He must explain why he signed a budget that does not match what his own administration proposed.)
Duterte further slammed the administration for allegedly using the national coffers for politicking and the personal interests of those in power.
She said it is time for Marcos and members of Congress to account for “abusing money that should have improved Filipinos’ lives.”
Malacañang earlier said that the executive branch will file a motion for reconsideration on the motion through the Office of the Solicitor General.
Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro said the Marcos administration simply followed the practice of allowing the use of excess tax collections for unprogrammed appropriations, which has been in place since 2015.