House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability chair, Manila 3rd District Rep. Joel Chua (PNA file photo by Joan Bondoc)
MANILA – A leader of the House of Representatives said Wednesday the ongoing congressional inquiry into issues surrounding the Office of the Vice President’s (OVP) use of public funds is focused on ensuring accountability in government spending, denying accusations that it is politically motivated.
During the hearing, House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability chair, Manila 3rd District Rep. Joel Chua, said the panel's sole aim was to ensure the proper use of public funds.
"This committee is not about politics, not about attacks, it is not even about the release or approval of any budget, as some have implied. This investigation is not prompted by any motive other than a desire to make the numbers make sense," Chua said.
"This committee, and these proceedings, are about accountability – we seek to learn the truth of how public money, ang pera ng taumbayan (the people’s money), is being used and whether or not our current laws, rules, and procedures are sufficient to ensure the security and safety of these funds," he added.
Chua noted that the amount of allegedly misused funds exceeded the legal threshold for plunder under Philippine law, as he pertained to the PHP125 million in confidential funds allocated to the OVP that was spent in just 11 days in 2022.
The Commission on Audit (COA) disallowed PHP73 million, representing nearly 60 percent of the PHP125 million in confidential funds.
"I must stress at this point that the sheer vastness of these potentially misused funds sets this matter apart from other instances of irregularity and disallowance – these amounts easily surpass the threshold for the crime of plunder under our laws,” Chua said.
“It is incumbent upon us, who are duty-bound to ensure that our legislation and regulations are effective enough to protect the money of the people, to investigate, and get to the bottom of these glaring irregularities."
Chua disclosed that the remaining PHP500 million set for 2023 is being reviewed, with only PHP51 million having been cleared by COA so far.
He further pointed out irregularities in the liquidation reports, noting that many expenses appeared to be rounded to even numbers and were repetitive, raising concerns about their accuracy.
"Paulit-ulit po at parang kinopy-paste ang liquidation ng Confidential Funds ng OVP (the liquidation report on the confidential funds of the OVP was repetitive and seemed copy-pasted),” Chua said.
He highlighted the responsibility of lawmakers in safeguarding taxpayer money, especially in cases involving confidential funds that are less subject to scrutiny.
"We are duty-bound to protect our people’s hard-earned money," Chua said.
Vice President Sara Duterte officially declined to attend the continuation of the House inquiry, citing several reasons for her non-attendance.
In a letter dated Sept. 23, Duterte said the inquiry is based on "unsubstantial allegations" from a privilege speech by Manila 2nd District Rep. Rolando Valeriano.
Valeriano's allegations pointed to a concentration of the OVP’s budget for 2023, 2024, and 2025 in the National Capital Region and questioned the legitimacy of the reported beneficiaries and strategic partnerships.
Duterte argued that such claims could be verified through official accomplishment reports, COA audits, and postings on various social media platforms, thus rendering a formal inquiry unnecessary.
She also pointed out the lack of a clear legislative objective or proposed bill that would make the discussions on the matter relevant.
"In fact, the invitation of the Committee itself lacks any clear legislative objective or contemplated legislation that is expected as an outcome of the deliberations," she said in the letter.
She reiterated that the Constitution respects the rights of persons appearing before such inquiries in aid of legislation, noting that the House cannot compel people to participate in the legislative process.
Meanwhile, Duterte said issues already pending before the Supreme Court should not be discussed before the House as it would violate the rule on sub judice that restricts comments and disclosures about judicial proceedings.
"Speaking or commenting on the matter may directly or indirectly impede, obstruct, or degrade the administration of justice. The OVP has been filing its comments in response to the various petitions filed before the Supreme Court," she said.
Show cause order
Meanwhile, the House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability has issued a show cause order to five OVP officials for skipping a congressional inquiry into the use of public funds.
The OVP officials are Undersecretary, chief of staff Zuleika Lopez; Assistant Secretary and assistant chief of staff Lemuel Ortonio; Rosalynne Sanchez, director of Administrative and Financial Services; special disbursing officer Gina Acosta, and chief accountant Julieta Villadelrey.
“Should these OVP officials fail to provide a satisfactory explanation, or if the committee deems their response as insufficient, they will face a contempt order, potentially leading to their arrest and detention,” panel chair, Manila 3rd District Rep. Joel Chua said.
Chua directed the officials to explain why they should not be cited for contempt after ignoring the invitation to attend the hearing.
Although the panel had invited 17 OVP officials, only OVP spokesperson Michael Poa, attended the Aug. 19 hearing. Poa, however, said he was not authorized by Duterte to speak on behalf of the OVP.
The committee secretariat said several invited OVP officials were seen before the hearing began but disappeared once the proceedings started. (with a report from Zaldy De Layola/PNA)
