House cites 4 OVP-linked individuals in contempt for snubbing budget probe

Members of the House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability hold a hearing on Nov. 11, 2024 on how the Department of Education and Office of the Vice President used their budgets. Screen capture from House of Representatives live stream

MANILA — Four subpoenaed individuals linked to the Office of the Vice President (OVP) were cited in contempt on Monday after failing to attend a House panel investigation into their office’s spending.

The House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability cited the following officials in contempt for providing “unacceptable” reasons for their repeated absence from the proceedings:

- Lemuel Ortonio, OVP bids and awards committee chair

- Gina Acosta, special disbursing officer

- Sunshine Fajarda, former Education assistant secretary

- Edward Fajarda, husband of Sunshine Fajarda 

“The committee has already exercised patience and understanding with these resource persons,” Quezon Rep. Jay-jay Suarez said during the congressional inquiry.

“Mga public officials po ito. Trabaho po nilang umattend, dumalo para ipaliwanag kung paano nagastos yung mga pondo nila dito,” he said.

(These are public officials. It is their duty to attend and to explain how these funds were used)

Immigration lookout order out vs VP Duterte staff who skipped House hearings

There were eight attempts to serve the subpoenas to these individuals, House records showed.

Two of the subpoenaed officials told the committee in writing that they could not attend the hearings as they had to travel to different provinces in early November to fulfill some of their tasks at the OVP.

They also submitted travel orders and plane tickets to prove that they had to attend to official business outside of Metro Manila, lawmakers said.

But House members questioned their excuses, alleging that there seems to be “malicious intent” in the seemingly coordinated issuance of their out-of-town assignments.

“Medyo nakapagtataka kasi pare-parehas silang umalis, pare-parehas silang may travel order sa araw na may hearing tayo,” Suarez said.

(It is a little suspicious that they all have these trips on the day of our hearing)

“It makes me think that there is malicious intent behind these travel orders just so they could avoid attending these hearings,” he said.

“A trip to Caraga can be rescheduled just to attend today’s hearing… This is unacceptable for the committee." 

‘Not in aid of legislation’: OVP officials decline to attend House hearing

The House has been investigating Vice President Sara Duterte and her office’s alleged misuse of funds, including its failure to deliver good quality computers that funding had been allocated for.

The House panel gave more leeway to OVP chief of staff Zuleika Lopez, who is in the United States to care for her sick aunt.

“Maybe we can extend a little bit more understanding. We can accept the letter of Ms. Zuleika Lopez but only until our next committee hearing,” Suarez said.

“Ako naman ay risonableng tao pero may hangganan. Siguro naman sa susunod na hearing wala na siyang dahilan para hindi dumalo,” he said.

(I am a reasonable person, but within limits. I suppose she will no longer have any reason to miss the next hearing)

Despite the consideration, Santa Rosa City Rep. Dan Fernandez underscored that Lopez’s “excuse letter” is becoming “worrisome.”

“As much as I want to believe her excuse, yung aunt niya living in the US can possibly stand on her own especially with the healthcare system in the US,” Fernandez said.

The congressman said he doubts that Lopez's aunt has no other relatives in the US to take care of her. Lopez said in her letter that her sick aunt only has her and had specifically requested that she be at her side.

“If we are going to allow this excuse of hers, then other resource persons might follow,” he said.

Meanwhile, the following OVP officials attended the fifth hearing of the House good government committee:

- Rosalynne Sanchez, administrative and financial services director

- Julieta Villadelrey, chief accountant

- Kelvin Gerome Tenido, chief administrative officer

- Edelyn Rabago, budget division chief

OVP officials earlier sent a letter to the House panel, saying that they refuse to attend the congressional inquiry as the deliberations are “not in aid of legislation.”