The petition before the Supreme Court (SC) questioning provisions in the 2025 General Appropriations Act (GAA) is a deliberate attempt to destabilize the government and reverse the congressional decision to remove P1.3 billion from the Office of the Vice President (OVP) due to supposed lack of transparency in the use of public funds, a lawmaker said.
Deputy Majority Leader Paolo Ortega denounced the petition filed by Rep. Isidro Ungab, lawyer Vic Rodriguez, and their allies, saying it is part of a larger political ploy to sow uncertainty and undermine the administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.
Acting House Committee on Appropriations chairperson Rep. Stella Luz Quimbo of Marikina City, meanwhile, asserted that the ratification of the corrected bicameral conference committee report is unnecessary, citing Omnibus Provision 2 of the report, which was duly ratified by Congress.
“Our position is that the ratification of the corrected bicam report is unnecessary. This is simply because Omnibus Provision 2 of the Report, which was ratified by the members, allows for the possibility of corrections, within limits stated in Omnibus Provision 1 (typographical errors and adjustments as a consequence of amendments),” she said.
Ortega called the SC petition a “calculated political gambit” meant to block the administration’s progress and disrupt governance.
“The petition filed by Rep. Isidro Ungab, Atty. Vic Rodriguez, and their allies before the Supreme Court questioning provisions in the 2025 General Appropriations Act (GAA) is more than just a legal maneuver – it is a calculated political gambit that exposes their intent to obstruct progress and destabilize the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.,” Ortega said.
He accused the petitioners of trying to undo a constitutionally sound decision by Congress to cut P1.3 billion from the OVP’s budget.
“Let us not mince words: this petition is an effort to undo the decision of Congress to cut P1.3 billion from the budget of the Office of the Vice President, a decision rooted in Congress’s constitutional duty to ensure that public funds are judiciously allocated,” he said.
Ortega stressed that the move reflects a pattern of political maneuvering aimed at creating doubt about the legitimacy of the national budget.
“The motives behind this petition are suspect, to say the least. This is not just about budgetary provisions – it is about political leverage,” he said.
He warned that the real intent behind the legal challenge is to weaken the Marcos administration and pave the way for Vice President Sara Duterte to consolidate power.