OVP: Travel of chief of staff approved by Sara

The Office of the Vice President (OVP) has confirmed that its chief of staff, Undersecretary Zuleika Lopez, left the country for a “personal” trip and will be back by mid-November. 

According to the OVP, Lopez’ travel overseas is from November 4 to 16, 2024, and was approved by Vice President Sara Duterte herself. 

“The OVP Chief of Staff’s travel was personal and unrelated to her employment with the OVP. Usec. Lopez appropriately submitted documents required of traveling government officials, which were approved by the Vice President,” Duterte’s office said in a statement. 

On Tuesday, the House good government and public accountability committee said it received records from the Bureau of Immigration that show Lopez reached the immigration gates at 7:31 p.m. November 4. She was on Philippine Airlines flight PR 102, which was headed to Los Angeles.

The House panel earlier issued a subpoena ad testificandum to Lopez and six other OVP officials for refusing to attend the probe on how their office used its budget, including confidential funds.

All the seven OVP officials, including Duterte’s chief of staff, skipped Tuesday’s hearing, prompting the committee to reissue a subpoena to the group for the last time.

If they still refuse to attend the inquiry, the OVP officials will be cited in contempt, which carries a corresponding detention order.

The OVP, meanwhile, said that claims about Lopez’ travel were “unfounded and unnecessary.”

“Speculations about the purpose of this travel are unfounded and unnecessary. We request to respect the privacy of the family on this difficult time,” it added.

Doubts

Meanwhile, Raul Bongalon of Ako Bicol party-list and Lord Suan of Cagayan de Oro believe that Lopez’s trave' was done in "bad faith."

“There’s bad faith because she left the night before the scheduled hearing, and they were properly informed of the schedule of the hearing. They could probably reschedule the personal trip,” Bongalon said.

“Her flight raises doubts. It just shows that she is evading, avoiding the hearing so they cannot be questioned about the budget use. And so I call attention of this person to prioritize her job because the chief of staff has the obligation to explain the irregularities, the concerns, the issues. If you have nothing to hide, why are you avoiding the hearing?,” Bongalon added.

Suan, for his part, said flight is an indication of guilt.

“The guilty flee even when no one pursues it, but the innocent is bold as a lion. If they have nothing to hide, they should not hide,” Suan added.

—with reports from Llanesca T. Panti/ VAL, GMA Integrated News

—VAL, GMA Integrated News