MANILA: Philippine President Benigno Aquino III said Monday that his administration would appeal a Supreme Court decision that declared his government’s enforcement of a major economic stimulus program partly unconstitutional.

Aquino said in a nationally televised address that such decisions by the high court served to hamper his efforts to pursue reforms after succeeding a president whose administration was tainted with corruption scandals and abuse.

The 15-member court’s ruling this month has put Aquino on the defensive. Aquino, the son of revered pro-democracy icons, won the presidency by a wide margin in 2010 on a promise to rid his Southeast Asian nation of 97 million people of corruption and widespread poverty.

Aquino said Monday that under the Disbursement Acceleration Program, which was enforced from 2011 to last year, government savings and excess, unallotted revenues were used to provide electricity to remote villages, build schools and finance other projects. He stressed that the funds were not stolen as alleged by critics.

“To the Supreme Court, our message: Do not bar us from doing what we swore to do. Shouldn’t you be siding with us in pushing for reform?” Aquino said.

“We do not want two equal branches of government to go head to head,” he said.

But, he added, “We find it difficult to understand your decision.”

Left-wing activists protested in Manila as Aquino spoke, threatening to seek his impeachment for violating the constitution. Rep. Neri Colmenares, a vocal Aquino critic, said the president’s defense of his stimulus program “is a declaration of war with the Supreme Court.” The high court ruled early this month that Aquino and other officials violated the constitution when they juggled state funds deemed as savings and excess revenues to finance projects under different government agencies.