SolGen seeks more time to reply to Supreme Court on 2025 budget case

MANILA, Philippines — The Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) said it has requested the Supreme Court for an extension to respond to the petition against the 2025 General Appropriations Act (GAA).

The OSG, which serves as the government's legal counsel in the case, filed a motion for an extension of time to submit its comment before the high court on February 21.

"Although the draft of the said Comment has already been finished, it is still undergoing further revision and/or correction before it can be filed," the OSG's motion read.

The Supreme Court directed the OSG to comment on the petition on February 4, following its filing by former Executive Secretary Vic Rodriguez on January 27.

Rodriguez challenged the constitutionality of the 2025 GAA, citing its failure to allocate the required funding for Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth), unauthorized spending increases beyond the president's proposals and the prioritization of infrastructure over education.

He argued that the GAA was flawed due to the inclusion of blank items in the Bicameral Conference Committee Report.

The House of Representatives, Senate and Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin were named as respondents in the petition.

Requiring the OSG to comment is part of the Supreme Court's standard procedure in handling cases or petitions, serving as an official response to the challenge filed against the government.

The Supreme Court has scheduled oral arguments for April 1, with a preliminary conference set for February 28.