OVP chief-of-staff cited in contempt for ‘undue interference’ in Congress probe

The House of Representatives Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability has approved a motion citing in contempt Office of the Vice President (OVP) chief-of-staff Zuleika Lopez for “undue interference” in the panel’s investigation into the confidential funds of offices held by Vice President Sara Duterte. 

The motion was made by ACT Teacher’s Party-list Representative France Castro in relation to a letter sent by the OVP to the Commission on Audit (COA) asking it not to comply with a House panel’s subpoena to submit audit reports on the OVP and the Department of Education’s use of confidential funds.  

“I’m sorry Attorney Lopez, dahil ikaw ang nakapirma dito, and according to our rule, one of the reasons is the undue interference in the conduct of proceedings. So may I move, na nag-violate si Attorney Lopez sa ating trabaho….may I move to cite Attorney Lopez in contempt,” said Castro. 

(I’m sorry, Attorney Lopez, because you were the one who signed here, and according to our rule, one of the reasons is the undue interference in the conduct of proceedings. So may I move, because Attorney Lopez violated our work…may I move to cite Attorney Lopez in contempt.) 

Lopez earlier confirmed that the letter, which she signed on August 21 asking the COA that “the subject Subpoena should not be complied with,” was legit.

The House appropriations committee in August issued COA a subpoena for its audit reports on the use of the confidential funds of the OVP and the DepEd —at the time led by Duterte—during fiscal year 2022 to 2023. 

“Tama lang ba na request lang sa COA na huwag pagbigyan yung aming request for the subpoena?” Castro asked Lopez. 

(Is it right to request COA not to comply with our request for the subpoena?) 

The OVP official maintained that it was just a “respectful request” to the state auditors. 

“Hindi po siga-siga ang OVP [The OVP is not a bully]. It was just really a respectful request, your honor, for them to consider our position. Like all position papers filed, we feel that these are the issues we need to raise,” said Lopez. 

After the panel approved Castro’s contempt order, it suspended the hearing for a few minutes. 

Upon the resumption of the hearing, Lopez requested the committee to reconsider the contempt motion. 

“I would like to seek reconsideration, your honor, of that recent resolution to cite me in contempt. For the record, it was just a respectful request to the Commission on Audit,” she pleaded. 

“There was no intention to demand from them, or to order, or to command them to do something that they did not want to do. It was really something that we requested of the Commission on Audit. At the end of the day, it is still the Commission on Audit who will decide best.” 

But Castro stood firm with her motion, noting that Lopez has been “evasive” with lawmakers’ questions throughout the hearing. 

“In the totality of the discussion, from 10 o’clock up to now, nakita natin na very evasive yung mga sagot ni Attorney Lopez,” she said. 

(In the totality of the discussion, from 10 o’clock up to now, we saw that Attorney Lopez’s answers have been very evasive.) 

“Tsaka nakita natin, hindi lang itong letter na ito, pati yung totality ng mga discussions pa kanina, ayun yung dahilan kung bakit nag-move tayo mag-cite in contempt. So I stand by my motion, Mr. Chair.” 

(Not just because of the letter, but with the totality of the discussions earlier, we decided to make a motion to cite her in contempt. So I stand by my motion, Mr. Chair.) 

Further, Castro also moved to detain Lopez up to 10 days or until November 25 given her health condition as she suffers from scoliosis. 

Manila 3rd district Representative Joel Chua, who chairs the House committee on good government and public accountability, then asked the lower chamber’s sergeant-at-arms to find a room for Lopez. 

“May we request the sergeant-at-arms to arrange a room, dito lang sa vicinity ng House of Representatives [just within the vicinity of the House of Representatives],” said Chua. 

Meanwhile, Abang Lingkod Party-list Representative Joseph Stephen Paduano told Lopez that she could still appeal the motion until Thursday. 

“You still have the right to appeal kahit bukas po [You still have the right to appeal even tomorrow]. That’s the right of every resource person or witnesses being cited in contempt,” he said. 

In a statement, the OVP said that Lopez “requested that no statement be issued regarding her detention.” 

Lemuel Ortonio, another OVP official, was also cited in contempt earlier in the day for failing to attend the House hearing. 

The committee also warned four OVP officials that they might face criminal and administrative charges if they continue to defy invitations and subpoenas to appear. — BM, GMA Integrated News