The House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability (PPAB)

Four officials of the Office of the Vice President (OVP) were cited for contempt by a House of Representatives panel after they continued to snub the ongoing probe into the office’s alleged misuse of confidential funds under Vice President Sara Duterte.

During the House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability hearing on Monday, Nov. 11, Deputy Speaker and Quezon 2nd district Rep. David “Jay-jay” Suarez moved to cite the officials for contempt over their “continued defiance” to attend the inquiry.

The OVP quartet was composed of Assistant Chief of Staff and Chairperson of the Bids and Awards committee Lemuel Ortonio, Special Disbursing Officer (SDO) Gina Acosta, former Department of Education (DepEd) Assistant Secretary Sunshine Charry Fajarda, and SDO Edward Fajarda.

Committee chairman Manila 3rd district Rep. Joel Chua approved the motion after hearing no objection.

Chua explained that the OVP officials violated Section 11, paragraph A of the House’s internal rules, which states the refusal to obey summons.

With this contempt citation, the officials were ordered detained at the premises of the House of Representatives in Batasang Pambansa Complex, Quezon City, until the submission of the committee’s final report for the plenary’s deliberations.

During the previous hearing on Nov. 4, nine officials of the OVP were issued subpoena ad testificandum to compel their appearance on Monday’s hearing.

On Monday, only four officials were present, namely: Director for Administrative and Financial Services Rosalynne Sanchez, Chief Accountant Juleita Villadelrey, Chief Administrative Officer Kevin Jerome Tenido, and Officer-in-charge of the Budget Division Ma. Edelyn Rabago.

OVP Chief of Staff Zuleika Lopez—a trusted aide of Vice President Sara Duterte—was notably absent in the hearing.

Earlier, the committee learned that Lopez has departed to the United States (US) a day before she was scheduled to appear in the ongoing inquiry.

In a letter addressed to Chua, the official explained that she traveled abroad to attend a medical emergency involving her aunt.

“Contrary to public insinuations, I did not depart the country to avoid attending the hearing. I sincerely apologize if this impression was conveyed,” Lopez said in the letter.

Santa Rosa City lone district Rep. Dan Fernandez, however, was quick to cast doubt on Lopez’s excuse.

Fernandez said this excuse could be part of a “new scheme” of resource persons to commit “clear evasion” of hearings.

Vice President Sara Duterte (MMANILA BULLETIN)

“The testimony of Zuleika Lopez is so crucial in this investigation. If we allow this excuse of hers, then other resource persons might follow,” the lawmaker said.

“As much as I wanted to agree with the humanitarian reason that being employed by this letter, I think let’s not accept this letter anymore. They can always run, but they cannot hide anymore,” he added.

Suarez, for his part, argued that the panel should extend more understanding given the health situation Lopez is facing.

“We can accept the letter of Zuleika Lopez but only until the next committee hearing,” noted Suarez.

Chua, the chairperson, recommended that the panel instead issue another subpoena ad testificandum out of humanitarian considerations.

This was later made into a motion, and was duly approved.

Grab the opportunity

House Minority Leader 4Ps Party-list Rep. Marcelino "Nonoy" Libanan said that Lopez should take advantage of the good government panel hearings as an opportunity to defend herself.

“Normally, individuals who are blameless, when asked to explain, would seize the first available occasion to clear themselves of any wrongdoing,” Libanan said in a statement Monday.

“Their continued nonappearance, without a credible explanation, is bound to reinforce the perception that they are trying to evade responsibility for potential irregularities,” the veteran solon said, referring to Lopez's four co-workers 

Libanan described as “strange and out of the ordinary” the repeated absence of Lopez and the four other OVP officials, despite multiple summons.

“If they have nothing to hide, then they should show up at the hearings. They should answer and dispute the allegations of anomalies,” he said. --with reports from Ellson Quismorio