THE Supreme Court (SC) ordered key lawmakers to appear during the hearing on a lawsuit questioning the constitutionality of the 2025 national budget on April 1 in Baguio City.
Solicitor General Menardo I. Guevarra said Acting House Appropriations Chair Stella Luz A. Quimbo and other members of the technical working group have been summoned by the top court during the oral arguments on the petition filed by former Presidential Spokesman Victor D. Rodriguez questioning the 2025 budget.
“Yes, Rep. Stella Quimbo and the TWG staff have been required by the SC to attend the oral arguments on April 1, which may last until April 3, in Baguio City,” he told reporters in a chat group.
The plaintiffs alleged the removal of the Philippine Health Corp.’s (PhilHealth) budget violated the constitutional right to health and undermined the Universal Health Care Act.
The petitioners also alleged that the education budget was misleadingly inflated by including unrelated agencies, failing to uphold the constitutional mandate to prioritize education.
Moreover, it was pointed out that the bicameral conference committee submitted a budget with blank items, which they deemed illegal and susceptible to falsification. — Chloe Mari A. Hufana
