The House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability issued subpoenas anew to six individuals working for the Office of the Vice President (OVP), reminding them that if they fail to appear in the next hearing of the panel, they will be ordered arrested.
The Blue Ribbon panel chaired by Manila Rep. Joel Chua issued the subpoenas to OVP lawyers Zuleika Lopez (Chief of Staff), Lemuel Ortonio (assistant COS), Rosalynne Sanchez (Director for Administrative and Financial Services), Special Disbursing Officer Gina Acosta, Chief Accountant Julieta Villadelrey, and former Department of Education (DepEd) Special Disbursing Officer Edward Fajarda, who is now also with the OVP.
The committee issued show-cause orders to the said OVP officials following their absences. Chua signaled that further action may include contempt citations and possible arrests if they continue to evade the inquiry.
The investigation stems from accusations surrounding the misuse of P125 million in confidential funds by the OVP, with P73 million being flagged by the Commission on Audit (COA).
The COA’s report raised red flags after the bulk of the amount was spent in just 11 days, from December 20 to 31, 2022. Despite the issuance of show-cause orders, none of the officials in question attended recent hearings.
The OVP even wrote a letter to the House of Representatives asserting its right to refuse to participate in the said inquiry, citing a Supreme Court ruling, which set the distinction between resource persons and accused individuals.
The OVP submitted a position paper to the House of Representatives dating October 17, citing the case of Calida v. Trillanes, where the Supreme Court held “that persons invited to appear before a legislative inquiry do so as resource persons and not as accused in a criminal proceeding.”
“We respectfully take the position that the deliberation or hearing is unnecessary and that the attendance of the officials and personnel of the Office of the Vice President is therefore not needed,” the OVP stated in the position paper.
Chua, in coordination with the Bureau of Immigration and the Department of Justice (DOJ), also requested the issuance of a lookout bulletin order to ensure the officials do not evade accountability by leaving the country.
“May I also request that a lookout bulletin order be issued as well in coordination with the Bureau of Immigration and DOJ,” he added.
The hearing also touched on the alleged role of Lopez, the OVP Chief of Staff, and her team in managing the disbursements and the lack of transparency in the use of the funds.
This investigation is part of a broader inquiry into the OVP’s budgetary practices and the questionable use of government funds. The inquiry also touched on the irregularities during Duterte’s term as DepEd Secretary.
The issue stirred public interest, with calls for greater oversight of government spending and the role of high-ranking officials in ensuring proper use of public funds.
Editor’s Note: This is an updated article. Originally posted with the headline: “House Blue Ribbon panel threatens to arrest VP Sara’s subordinates”
