THE Supreme Court (SC) has ordered the House of Representatives, the Senate and Malacañang to submit the original copies of the 2025 General Appropriations Bill (GAB) and the enrolled bill transmitted to the Palace.
The order, which was issued on February 18, is in relation to the petition filed by former Executive Secretary and senatorial aspirant Victor Rodriguez and Davao City Rep. Isidro Ungab questioning the constitutionality of the 2025 General Appropriations Act (GAA).
Last Tuesday, the SC said it will conduct an oral argument on Rodriguez and Ungab’s petition on April 1, 2025 during the SC en banc deliberations to be held in Baguio City where the magistrates will be holding their annual summer sessions.
The case was also set for a preliminary conference on February 28, 2025.
The SC said the original copies of the 2025 GAB and the enrolled bill must be submitted not later than 12 noon of February 24.
“The Court reserves the right to require the parties to submit other documents after the conduct of the preliminary conference,” the SC added.
Joining Rodriguez and Ungab in the “taxpayer’s suit” are Rogelio Mendoza, Benito Ching, Redemberto Villanueva, Roseller dela Peña, Santos Catuba and Dominic Solis.
The petitioners argued that RA 12116 is unconstitutional for violating Article II Section 15 of the 1987 Constitution in relation to Sections 10, 11 and 37 of Republic Act No. 1123, also known as the Universal Health Care Act; Article VI, Section 25 (1) of the Constitution; Article XIV, Section 5 (5) of the Constitution; and Article VI, Section 27 of the Constitution when the bicameral conference committee submitted a report with blank items.
‘WEAPONIZING’
House Majority Leader Manuel Jose Dalipe yesterday accused allies of former president Rodrigo Duterte led by Alvarez of trying to weaponize the Office of the Ombudsman (OMB) against the House after it impeached Vice President Sara Duterte.
“We trust that the Ombudsman will not allow itself to be used as a tool for political games and will dismiss this baseless request for preventive suspension. Speaker (Martin) Romualdez and the House leadership will continue working for the people, unshaken by these desperate political maneuvers,” Dalipe said in a statement.
Ombudsman Samuel Martires was appointed by former President Rodrigo Duterte in 2018, replacing then-outgoing Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales.
Alvarez, lawyer Ferdinand Topacio, Citizen’s Crime Watch president Diego Magpantay, retired Brig. Gen. Virgilio Garcia and senatorial candidate singer-lawyer Jimmy Bondoc, are seeking the indictment of Romualdez for 12 counts each of falsification of legislative documents and violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act over the alleged insertion of expenditure items worth P241 billion in the 2025 budget bill.
The co-respondents of the Speaker in the case are Reps. Dalipe, Elizaldy Co (PL-Ako Bicol), Stella Quimbo (Marikina City), and John and Jane Does representing the personnel of the Technical Working Group of the bicameral conference committee.
On Wednesday, Alvarez and his fellow complainants filed a motion calling for the preventive suspension of the Speaker and three other House congressmen over the same criminal complaints.
Dalipe said the suspension call “is a desperate attempt to weaponize the Ombudsman for political retaliation because the House remains steadfast in upholding transparency and accountability, regardless of political affiliations.”
The House leader said the complaint and suspension call is another “tactic to divert attention away from the impeachment of Vice President Duterte.” – With Wendell Vigilia
