Following initial oral arguments on April 7, the Supreme Court on April 8 asked the Office of the Solicitor General for detailed records on unprogrammed appropriations releases amid concerns over misuse in the 2024-2026 budgets. A April 14 deadline was set for the submission.
In continuation of oral arguments on petitions challenging the constitutionality of unprogrammed appropriations (UA) and budget insertions in the 2024-2026 General Appropriations Acts—after the April 7 session featuring amici curiae presentations—Senior Associate Justice Marvic Leonen on Tuesday directed Solicitor General Darlene Marie Berberabe to provide a comprehensive list of all special allotment release orders (SAROs) authorizing UA releases.
Leonen noted that SAROs are issued by the Department of Budget and Management to the Bureau of the Treasury for disbursement, and the OSG must align them with corresponding certificates of income from the Treasury.
The documents are due by April 14 and will inform interpellations in the second round of arguments scheduled for April 21. The request arises from ongoing suspicions of UA fund misuse.
