Three cause-oriented organizations—the Teachers’ Dignity Coalition, Freedom from Debt Coalition, and the Philippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocates—have officially filed a petition before the Supreme Court challenging the constitutionality of Republic Act No. 12116, or the General Appropriations Act (GAA) of 2025. The petition, which includes a request for a temporary restraining order, seeks to nullify the national budget on grounds that it violates the constitutional mandate to prioritize education in government appropriations.

According to the petitioners, the 2025 budget allocates an overwhelming P1.05 trillion to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), a figure that far exceeds the combined budgets of key education agencies—the Department of Education (DepEd), Commission on Higher Education (CHED), Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), and state universities and colleges (SUCs)—which amount to only P913.3 billion.
“This reckless budget prioritization only worsens our nation’s financial instability. With debt levels rising at an unsustainable rate, future generations will bear the brunt of these misguided allocations,” said FDC Secretary General Rovik Obanil.

The petitioners also challenge the government’s reclassification of funds, arguing that it misrepresents the true budgetary allocation for education. They cite the inclusion of funds for institutions such as the Philippine Military Academy (PMA), Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA), Philippine Public Safety College (PPSC), and the National Defense College of the Philippines (NDCP), among others, in the education budget to artificially inflate its share.
Education must be the top priority in government spending. The deliberate manipulation of budget classifications distorts this mandate and deprives the education sector of much-needed resources,” said Benjo Basas, TDC Chairperson.

Following the filing, representatives of the petitioning groups gathered outside the Supreme Court gates in Ermita, Manila.