Vice President Sara Duterte (Ellson Quismorio/ MANILA BULLETIN)

A House panel has asked the Department of Justice (DOJ) to issue a lookout bulletin order against seven officials from the Office of the Vice President (OVP) who are being investigated  for their hand in the alleged mismanagement of government funds under Vice President Sara Duterte. 

Manila 3rd doitrict Rep. Joel Chua, chairman of the Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability made the request following the panel's issuance of subpoenas to compel these officials to testify after their repeated absences from prior hearings and potential involvement in financial irregularities. 

No-showing the Chua panel's hearings are OVP Chief of Staff Zuleika Lopez; Assistant Chief of Staff and Bids and Awards Committee Chair Lemuel Ortonio; Administrative and Financial Services Director Rosalynne Sanchez; Special Disbursing Officer (SDO) Gina Acosta; and Chief Accountant Juleita Villadelrey. 

Also summoned were former Department of Education (DepEd) Assistant Secretary Sunshine Charry Fajarda and SDO Edward Fajarda, both reportedly now with the OVP. 

The Fajarda couple were close aides to Vice President Duterte during her tenure as DepEd Secretary from July 2022 until she resigned in July 2024. 

In his recent letter to DOJ Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla, Chua said the testimonies of these OVP officials are crucial to the investigation and to ensuring accountability for public funds. 

The Manila solon, whose panel is often referred to as the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee of the House of Representatives, noted that his panel has received information indicating that these individuals may be preparing to leave the country. 

“Considering these developments, I earnestly request your office to issue a Lookout Bulletin Order against these personalities,” Chua stated in his letter to Remulla. 

“This action is imperative to monitor their movements and prevent any potential attempt to flee the country, which could significantly hinder our investigation and broader efforts to uphold the integrity of public service,” he added. 

The good government panel's investigation was triggered by a privilege speech delivered by Manila 2nd district Rep. Rolando Valeriano, who accused Duterte of fund mismanagement in the OVP based on findings by the Commission on Audit (COA). 

COA disallowed over P73 million of the P125 million in confidential funds allocated to the OVP in 2022—amounting to nearly 60 percent of the total. 

Even more alarming, COA reported that this amount was spent within just 11 days, from December 21 to 31, 2022, averaging over P11 million per day. 

In its Notice of Disallowance, COA ordered Duterte, along with Acosta and Villadelrey as “accountable officials,” to return the disallowed P73 million to the government. 

Since the inquiry began, none of the seven OVP officials have attended the hearings. 

The Chua-led panel has expanded its probe to include alleged irregularities within the DepEd during Duterte’s tenure. 

Lawmakers were particularly concerned over the P112.5 million in confidential and intelligence funds (CIFs), which remain unaccounted for despite being withdrawn as cash advances by one of the Vice President’s close aides during her tenure as Secretary of DepEd. 

The funds in question were withdrawn through three separate checks, each valued at P37.5 million, issued to then-DepEd SDO Edward Fajarda. These cash advances were made in the first three quarters of 2023 when Duterte was leading the department. 

House members also expressed shock over the OVP’s use of P16 million in confidential funds to rent 34 safehouses for only 11 days in the last quarter of 2022. Some safehouses cost nearly P91,000 per day—higher than the rates at high-end resorts like Shangri-La Boracay. 

Chua questioned whether these safehouses were actually luxurious properties, as he noted that similar rentals in Taguig's Bonifacio Global City (BGC) typically cost around P90,000 per month, far lower than the daily rate of P91,000 paid by the OVP. 

Records show that the OVP made payments ranging from P250,000 to P1 million per property owner between Dec. 21 and 31, 2022. These rentals, detailed in the OVP’s liquidation report to the COA, were part of a rapid P125 million CIF expenditure over the 11-day period.

House leaders react to VP Sara's survey numbers plunge 

Which such controversies hounding Vice President Duterte, it's no surprise for Senior Deputy Speaker Pampanga 3rd district Rep. Aurelio "Dong" Gonzales Jr. and Majority Leader Zamboanga City 1st district Rep. Manuel Jose "Mannix" Dalipe that her survey figures have been dropping. 

“It is expected. Pera ng taumbayan ang ginastos niya na hanggang ngayon ay hindi niya ipinapaliwanag at balot na balot sa kontrobersiya...Para sa mga kababayan nating nagbabayad ng buwis, dapat ay sinasagot niya ito,” said Gonzales. 

(She utilized public funds and up to now she hasn't explained it despite the many controversies...For our countrymen who pay taxes, these concerns must be answered.) 

The September OCTA Research survey results showed a six percentage point drop in trust rating to 59 percent; and an eight percentage point decline in performance rating to 52 percent. 

Dalipe echoed Gonzales’ sentiments, and highlighted the impact of the controversies on Duterte's ability to lead. 

“From 87 percent trust rating noong Marso 2023 to 59 percent ngayon (From an 87 percent trust rating in March 2023 to 59 percent now), that’s a significant fall,” Dalipe pointed out. “That means something is wrong with how the public perceives her leadership.” 

Dalipe stressed that Duterte’s declining ratings in key regions like the National Capital Region (NCR) and Balance Luzon, where her trust rating dropped by 13 and 9 points respectively, show that her support is shrinking beyond Mindanao. 

“Mahirap magpanatili ng pagtitiwala ng bayan kapag maraming tanong ang hindi sinasagot (It's hard to maintain the nation's trust if many questions are left unanswered). 

"Her role as a top leader in the government requires accountability. Kung hindi niya kayang ipaliwanag ang mga ito (If she can't explain these), it’s only natural for the people to lose trust,” he stated. 

“Kung hindi siya kikilos para linawin ang mga isyu (If she doesn't act to clarify the issue), she will continue to lose ground, especially in areas where she enjoyed broader support before,” he warned.