The Supreme Court (SC) will be holding a preliminary conference on the petition challenging the constitutionality of Republic Act 12116 or the 2025 General Appropriations Act (GAA).
In the said petition, former executive secretary and senatorial aspirant Vic Rodriguez and others alleged an unlawful increase of appropriations beyond the President’s recommendations, as well as irregularities in the bicameral conference committee report.
In a revised advisory as of February 25, the High Tribunal said the conference will be held on March 5 at 9:30 a.m. at the SC Main Building’s En Banc Session Hall in Manila.
Two counsels for Rodriguez, the House of Representatives, the Senate, and the Office of the Solicitor General will be physically present at the session, according to the advisory.
Counsels who will be attending the preliminary conference are directed to submit to the SC their manifestations stating their names within five days from notice.
The oral arguments for the petition are scheduled for April 1 in Baguio City. Among the preliminary issues include whether the petitioners have the legal standing to sue, whether the issues raised involve an actual and justiciable controversy, whether direct resort to the SC is proper, and whether the issue of constitutionality is the lis mota of the case.
Meanwhile, substantive issues of the petition would discuss the 2025 GAA’s possible violation of Articles II, VI, and XIV of the Constitution.
