The transition to the first elected Bangsamoro Parliament on Oct. 30 marks the culmination of the political track's transition phase, but it does not complete the broader peace agreement.

The challenge for lawmakers is to build protections that work in practice, not merely impose restrictions that are difficult to enforce or easy to evade.

The Supreme Court’s latest ruling on Unprogrammed Appropriations is an important step toward restoring discipline and accountability in the national budget. It does not abolish UA. But it makes clear that this budgetary device cannot be used to circumvent constitutional limits or give the Executive virtually unrestricted discretion over public spending.