OSG asks SC to dismiss petition assailing 2025 national budget

The Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) has asked the Supreme Court (SC) to dismiss the petition seeking to declare the 2025 national budget as unconstitutional amid alleged irregularities.

In an 89-page comment, the OSG asked the High Court to dismiss the petition for alleged fatal procedural defects and lack of merit.

The OSG represents the respondent government officials in the petition — House of Representatives, as represented by Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez; the Senate of the Philippines, as represented by Senate President Francis Escudero; and Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin.

Meanwhile, the petitioners are former executive secretary and senatorial aspirant Vic Rodriguez, Davao City 3rd District Representative Isidro Ungab, Rogelio Mendoza, Benito Ching Jr., Redemberto Villanueva, Roseller dela Peña, Santos Catubay, and Dominic Solis.

The OSG argued that the Republic Act 12116 or the General Appropriations Act does not violate the 1987 Constitution, in relation to certain provisions under the Universal Health Care Act, over PhilHealth’s zero subsidy in the budget.

“At the risk of stating the obvious, Congress is not obligated or mandated to appropriate funds for PhilHealth in every fiscal year,” it said.

“Rather, a closer reading of Sections 10, 11, and 37, reveals that such appropriation is not mandatory but conditional upon Congress' determination of necessity,” it added.

The agency also dismissed the petitioner’s arguments that their right to health was violated due to the lack of appropriation from PhilHealth.

It said that the promotion of the right to health may be done through other government programs and projects.

“In other words, the absence of an appropriation in the 2025 GAA does not equate to a withdrawal of government support for health care,” it said.

Further, the OSG said that the GAA does not violate the Constitution over the  supposed blank items in the bicameral conference committee report.

“As is evidenced by the enrolled bill itself, the GAB was complete in all its contents, and both houses of Congress duly approved this complete version,” it said.

“No further proof is required. No additional arguments need to be entertained, much less baseless accusations that, at one point or another, the bill was incomplete and contained blank spaces. To reiterate, such claims have no legal effect in the face of the enrolled bill,” it added.

Meanwhile, the SC on Wednesday ordered House committee on appropriations chairperson Stella Quimbo and members of the technical working group to attend the oral arguments for the petition on April 1. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News