SC asked to declare 2026 BARMM budget bill unconstitutional

A petition questioning the legality of the P114 billion budget of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) for 2026 was filed Friday with the Supreme Court (SC).

Petitioners Abdulsukor Mustapah and Bohari Lampatan asked the High Tribunal for a certiorari with prayer for issuance of a temporary restraining order (TRO) against Bangsamoro Autonomy Act (BAA) No. 85, which contains the 2026 operational funds of BARMM. 

The petitioners said BAA No. 85 violated the Constitution and the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) when it allocated 23.22% or P26 billion to the Ministry of Education for 2026,  failing to provide the “highest priority to education in the allocation of government funds”.  

“According sa Constitution at BOL, number one dapat na bigyang prayoridad sa budget ang education sector. Nalabag nila,” Datu Tokz Bin Abdu Rahman, Save Bangsamoro Movement, spokesperson, told reporters. 

(The Constitution and BOL states the education sector should be given priority in the budget. They violated it.)

Rahman also said the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA)  reduced the funding for social services and had committed grave abuse of discretion when it allocated 41% or at least P47 billion of the 2026 BARMM to the Office of BARMM Chief Minister Abdulraof Macacua. 

“Ating hinihiling sa Korte Suprema ay maglabas ng TRO at tuluyan nang i-declare na unconstitutional itong BAA No. 85 na ipinasa ng BTA,” Rahman added. 

(We’re asking the SC to issue a TRO and declare BAA No. 85 unconstitutional.)

In December 2025, the BTA passed BAA No. 85, appropriating the funds for the operations of the Bangsamoro government in 2026.

GMA News Online reached out to Macacua for comment and will publish his statement once available. —Sundy Locus/AOL, GMA Integrated News