Office of the Vice President (OVP) Chief-of-staff Zuleika Lopez found herself with a contempt citation as well as a detention order during her first time to appear before the House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability's inquiry on confidential funds misuse.

The contempt citation came against Lopez after nearly 10 hours worth of grilling by the congressmen who wanted to get to the bottom of how Vice President Sara Duterte had spent millions worth of the secret funds during the past two years.

Making the motion to cite Lopez for contempt on the ground of "undue interference in the conduct of proceedings" at 7:45 p.m. Wednesday was House Deputy Minority Leader ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. France Castro. 

"So may I move Mr. Chair na nag-violate si Atty. Lopez dito sa ating proceedings or dun sa ating trabaho (Atty. Lopez committed a violation in our proceedings or in our job) due to this Section 11, Letter F, undue interference on the conduct of proceedings. May I move to cite Atty. Lopez in contempt," she said.

Panel chairman, Manila 3rd district Rep. Joel Chua carried the motion after hearing no objections from the members present.

Castro also made a motion for the House to detain Lopez until Monday,  Nov. 25, or the date of the next hearing. It was also promptly carried. 

The Chua panel, dubbed the "Senate Blue Ribbon Committee" of the House of Representatives, has carried out six hearings so far on the alleged misuse of confidential funds under Vice President Sara Duterte. 

This covered the confidential funds under the OVP and the Department of Education (DepEd), which from 2022 to 2024 was under the auspices of Duterte. Lopez, 50, was supposed to give clarity for the benefit of the solons.

What triggered Castro's motion was Lopez's letter to the Commission on Audit (COA) dated Aug. 21, 2024 wherein she asked the agency not to comply with the House's subpoena duces tecum or demand to get the documents pertaining to the P125-million confidential funds that the OVP spent in just 11 days in December 2022.

Castro reminded Lopez that it was she who made the motion to subpoena the COA report.

The Makabayan solon quoted Lopez's letter, wherein the latter wrote to COA, "We are of the position that the subject subpoena should not be complied with."

"Are you commanding, are you demanding the COA wag sumunod doon sa subpoena duces tecum? (to not follow the subpoena duces tecum?)" Castro asked.

"If you read the entirety of the letter," Lopez answered, "it is really a respectful request sa Commission on Audit. We are not demanding them, or instructing them. It is really a respect request."

Castro was unsatisfied with the response. "Pag 'should' kasi, parang demanding na yun, commanding na yun para sakin (For me, the use of 'should' entails a demand or command)."

"Parang siga-siga ba yung [OVP] na utusan ang COA na hindi kami sundin? (Is the OVP trying to act tough in ordering COA to not comply with us?)" Castro asked again. 

"Mr. Chair, hindi po siga-siga ang OVP (the OVP isn't acting tough). It was really just a respectful request your honor for them to consider our position," Lopez said.

Castro replied: "Dito sa letter na ito, Mr. Chair, may plano talaga ang [OVP] na mag-interfere doon sa ating conduct ng proceedings. Dahil dito Mr. Chair, I'm sorry, Atty. Lopez no, dahil ikaw yung nakapirma dito."

(This letter shows, Mr. Chair, that the OVP really has a plan to interfere with the conduct of our proceedings. Because of this, Mr. Chair, I'm sorry Atty. Lopez, you're the one who signed this.)

After the contempt citation, a humble Lopez sought reconsideration from the panel and even apologized to Castro if her letter had offended her in any way.

While Castro accepted the apology, she stood her ground on the contempt citation and insisted that it was warranted.

The lady solon further claimed that Lopez was evasive with her answers during the entire hearing. 

The hearing began at around 10 a.m.