Senate ready to defend constitutionality of unprogrammed funds – SottoEmployees enter the Senate of the Philippines as seen in this photo release on August 5, 2024. MANILA, Philippines — Senate President Vicente Sotto III said the Senate is ready to defend the constitutionality of the unprogrammed appropriations (UA) in the 2026 national budget that has been questioned before the Supreme Court (SC). Unprogrammed funds are constitutionally valid based on SC decisions,” Sotto said in a Zoom press briefing yesterday. Sotto said the petitioners were just “nitpicking” when they assailed the legality of UA before the SC. Sotto stressed the need to set aside standby funds for foreign-assisted and other big-ticket projects, like the Metro Manila Subway and modernization of the military.

Source: Philippine Star January 09, 2026 17:31 UTC