Marcos defends 2025 budget as petitioners seek court action

National

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Thursday dismissed the petition filed against the 2025 national budget, labeling it part of a broader destabilization effort against his administration.

The petition, questioning the constitutionality of the General Appropriations Act (GAA), was filed by his former Executive Secretary Vic Rodriguez and Davao City Representative Isidro Ungab before the Supreme Court (SC).

They argued that the GAA had “blank spaces” when it was signed by the bicameral conference committee, prior to Congress ratifying it.

Marcos responded strongly, stating that the government had a solid case to defend the GAA and expressed confidence in the outcome, with Solicitor General Menardo Guevarra handling the legal arguments before the SC.

The President maintained that there was no “Plan B” if the court ruled against the budget, warning that such a decision could lead to the collapse of government operations, which he suggested was the goal of those behind the petition.

He also took the opportunity to clarify that, despite claims from critics, he could not find any blank items in the GAA after personally reviewing its 4,057 pages before signing it into law.

Marcos emphasized that he meticulously analyzed the document, vetoing certain sections, and insisted that blank spaces were simply not allowed to exist in the budget.

He further criticized former President Duterte, who had voiced concerns over the blank spaces, calling his remarks misleading and contradictory to his experience as a former Chief Executive.

Theongoing legal challenge underscores the political tension surrounding the budget approval process, with the petitioners pushing for the SC to declare the GAA unconstitutional.(CMM)