271059/271347/E-02472/E-04036 Representative Edcel C. Lagman, substituted by Albay First District Representative Krisel B. Lagman, et al. Vs. The Congress of the Philippines, et al./Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III and Pantaleo “Bebot” Alvarez Vs. Lucas P. Bersamin, in his capacity as executive secretary, and Amenah F. Pangandaman, in her capacity as secretary of the Department of Budget and Management/Filipinos for Peace, Justice and Progress Movement, Inc. (FPJPM), represented by its president and chairperson, Joseph F. Cadsawan, and Gloria T. Puzon, chapter Officer Vs. The House of Representatives, et al./Edgar R. Erice and Leila De Lima Vs. The Senate of the Philippines, et al. — Official PDF

Decision 47 G.R. Nos. 271059, 271347, E-02472 and E-04036 A parameter of judicial review is determining who can read the Constitution. Interpreting its text has never been within the exclusive province of the courts. Other branches of government are equally able to provide their own interpretation of the provjsiol)s of, our organic law, especially on the powers conferred by the Constitution and those delegated by Congress to administrative agencies. However, other departments' reading or interpretation is limited only to a preliminary determination. Only this Court can read the text ofthe Constitution withfinality.229 (Emphasis supplied) This Court elaborated that an aspect of its exercise of the power of judicial review is the concept of "pragmatic adjudication,"230 which entails deciding a case with regard to the "present and future, unchecked by any felt duty to secure consistency in principle with what other officials have done in the past."231 The Court is therefore not precluded from reviewing the .validity of the acts of co-equal branches on grounds of grave abuse of discretion. In the end, KMU upheld the validity of the Social Security Commission's issuances increasing SSS contributions. This Court ratioc:inated that the questioned increase in contribution rate was not solely to increase members' benefits, but to also extend actuarial life, which accords with the State's policy on maintaining a sustainable social security system and the constitutional mandate of promoting social justice. This Court held that therein respondents were only complying with their duties under the Social Security Law, and that there was no showing that they exceeded their powers. In the present case, the Court holds that unprogrammed appropriations per se are valid for as long as they act as limited standby authorization, according to their original intent, and preserve the integrity of the integrated national fiscal program contemplated in Article VII, Section 22. The succeeding discussions will delve on the question of whether the unprogrammed appropriations in the 2026 General Appropriations Act are unconstitutional. ' V Petitioners Erice and De Lima argue that Chapter . XLIII on Unprogrammed Appropriations is a rider. First, it is inappropriate for being unrelated to any of the already programmed appropriations eannarked in the GAA. Since the budget consists of line items, Unprogrammed tJ Appropriations, which are lump-sum in character, deviate from the line-item / 229 KMUv. Aquino llf, 850Phil.1168, 1215-1216 (2019) [Per J. Leanen, En Banc]. 230 Id. at 1217. (Citation omitted) 231 ld. (Citation omitted)