Article VI: The Legislative Department

Section 29. Fiscal Powers of Congress; Limitations; Special Funds

Guingona v. Carague, 196 SCRA 221, 1991

FACTS:
Petitioners, who were senators, question the constitutionality of the automatic
appropriation for foreign debt service in the 1990 budget.
The said automatic appropriation for debt service is authorized by P.D. No. 81
Petitioners argue that this is invalid because it does not appropriate a fixed amount and is
therefore an undue delegation of legislative power.
ISSUE:
Whether the said appropriation is valid
RULING:
YES. The decrees are complete in all their essential terms and conditions and sufficient
standards are indicated therein, and amounts are made certain by the legislative
parameters provided in the decrees.
The amount is fixed by the parameters of the law itself which requires the simple act of
looking into the books of the Treasury.