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MANILA, Philippines — The House committee on good governance has warned seven officials of the Office of the Vice President (OVP) that they will be arrested if they again skip the hearing on the alleged misuse of public funds.
In a statement on Sunday, panel chair Manila 3rd District Rep. Joel Chua said they issued multiple summons to seven OVP officials who have ignored their requests to appear at the hearing.
“These absences reflect a blatant disregard for the authority of Congress and are unacceptable. If they fail to appear again, we are prepared to issue orders for their arrest,” he said.
“The committee has been more than fair in giving these officials ample opportunities to cooperate. If they fail to appear this time, they leave us no choice but to impose heavier penalties, including contempt and potential arrest and detention,” he added.
Chua revealed that so far, only Administrative and Financial Services Director Rosalynne Sanchez and OVP Chief Accountant Julieta Villadelrey have confirmed their attendance at the hearing scheduled for Monday, November 11.
READ: House panel issues subpoena to OVP officials anew
The House panel is currently probing the alleged misuse of P612.5 million in confidential funds allocated to the OVP and the Department of Education (DepEd) under Vice President Sara Duterte’s watch.
Aside from Sanchez and Villadelrey, the following officials skipped the House panel’s initial hearing on Tuesday, November 5:
- OVP Chief of Staff Zuleika Lopez
- Assistant Chief of Staff and Bids and Awards Committee Chair Lemuel Ortonio
- Special Disbursing Officer (SDO) Gina Acosta
- Former DepEd Assistant Secretary Sunshine Charry Fajarda
- SDO Edward Fajarda
Lopez reportedly departed for Los Angeles on Monday, November 4.
READ: House: 1 of 7 OVP officials linked to alleged fund misuse left PH
The Department of Justice (DOJ) on Wednesday, November 6, said it issued an immigration lookout bulletin order (Ilbo) against the seven OVP officials, following the House panel’s request.
DOJ spokesperson Mico Clavano clarified that the Ilbo does not restrict the travel of the OVP officials as it is merely a “monitoring mechanism.”
“The effect of an Ilbo is just to monitor people who leave and enter the country. If your name is listed on the Ilbo, it means it will ping in the system and inform the BI and DOJ,” he explained.
READ: DOJ issues lookout bulletin vs 7 OVP officials