The House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability has requested the Department of Justice (DOJ) to issue a lookout bulletin order against seven Office of the Vice President (OVP) officials in connection with its investigation into alleged mismanagement of government funds under Vice President Sara Duterte.
Manila Rep. Joel Chua initiated the request following the panel’s issuance of subpoenas to compel the seven officials to appear after their repeated failure to attend hearings on the alleged financial irregularities.
The seven officials include 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, Chief Accountant Juleita Villadelrey, Department of Education (DepEd) Assistant Secretary Sunshine Charry Fajarda, and SDO Edward Fajarda.
The Fajarda couple, who have since moved to the OVP, were close aides to the Vice President during her two years as education secretary.
In a letter addressed to Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla, Chua said the testimonies of these OVP officials are crucial to the unearthing of possible mishandling of state funds.
The lawmaker said his committee has received information that may suggest that the seven individuals are getting ready to leave the country.
“Considering these developments, I earnestly request your office to issue a Lookout Bulletin Order against these personalities. 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,” Chua wrote to the Justice Secretary.
As this developed, two other House leaders on said the Vice President’s continuously nose-diving trust and performance ratings is to be expected given her continued evasion of answering important questions surrounding her alleged public funds misuse.
Pampanga Rep. Aurelio Gonzales Jr. and Zamboanga Rep. Manuel Jose Dalipe said the plummeting ratings of Duterte as reported in the latest OCTA Research survey is an expression of the Filipino’s continuing distrust over her alleged lack of transparency and accountability.
“It is expected. She used the people’s mo ey, and up to now, she could not give an explanation,” Gonzales said.
“The questions are simple. Please explain the use of confidential funds when she was DepEd Secretary and the safehouses that were paid P16 million for just 11 days. For our fellow tax payers, she should be answering this,” he added.
Dalipe echoed Gonzales’ sentiments, highlighting the impact of Duterte’s controversies on her ability to lead.
He stressed that Duterte’s declining ratings in key regions like the National Capital Region and Balance Luzon, where her trust rating dropped by 13 and 9 points respectively, show that her support is shrinking beyond Mindanao.
The lawmakers agreed that Duterte’s recent OCTA Research survey results, which show a six-point drop in trust to 59 percent and an eight-point decline in performance to 52 percent, reflect a crisis in her public image.
