LTO’s use of funds left in 2016 to augment 2017 budget for driver’s license card project constitutional -- SC ManilaBulletin
The ruling was contained in a full court decision written by Justice Rodil V. Zalameda. It dismissed the petition filed by then Party-List Rep. Aniceto D. Bertiz III.
“The use of the Land Transportation Office of the amount appropriated under ‘Issuance of driver's license and permits’ in the General Appropriations Act of 2016 to supplement the amount appropriated under ‘Issuance of driver's license and permits’ in the General Appropriations Act of 2017 is not unconstitutional,” the SC ruled.
It said that Section 65 of the 2016 General Appropriations Act “explicitly authorized and prescribed the limits on the use of appropriations in 2016 for 2017.” “Following the clear terms of Section 65 of the 2016 GAA, any unspent balance from this appropriation can be released and obligated ‘for the purpose specified, and under the same special provisions applicable thereto,’ for a period extending to one fiscal year after 2016, that is, until the end of 2017,” it said.