THE House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability has issued subpoenas to several officials of the Office of the Vice President (OVP) after they failed to appear at Thursday’s hearing regarding the use of the OVP’s confidential funds.
Committee member Jonathan Flores moved to issue subpoenas to OVP Chief of Staff Undersecretary Zuleika Lopez, OVP Assistant Chief of Staff Assistant Secretary Lemuel Ortonio, OVP Director for Administrative and Financial Services Rosalynne Lopez, OVP Special Disbursing Officer Gina Acosta, OVP Chief Accountant Juleita Villadelrey, and former Department of Education special disbursing officer Edward Fajarda who were not able to attend the hearing for the third straight time.
The motion was approved by committee chairman Joel Chua.
The Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability chaired by Manila 3rd district Representative Joel Chua. Photo from House of Representatives of the Philippines FB page
In its position paper given to the committee signed by most of the officials, the OVP reiterated that the blue ribbon hearing has no “legislative objective or outcome,” and is unclear on the rules over jurisdiction.
During the hearing, the panel unearthed receipts in the amount of P16 million with 34 acknowledgment receipts, which panel vice chairman and Antipolo Rep. Romeo Acop believes were payments for the rental of safehouses in 2022.
Commission on Audit (CoA) representative Gloria Camora could not satisfactorily answer Acop’s query on whether the payment of P16 million were for the rental of safehouses, noting that in one receipt.
P500,000 was paid for the rental of a safehouse from December 21 to 31, which was the period when the OVP was using its confidential funds.
“So as long as an agency would submit the receipts or acknowledgement receipts in their liquidation of the amount, you do not have the, shall we say, the wherewithal or the jurisdiction to find out whether the expenditures are reasonable or true? Are you trying to tell us that?” Acop told Camora.
Camora said it is more on the submission of the requirements, and it is difficult to determine if the receipts were reasonable or true.
Acop said that with the role of the CoA limited to accepting only the documents such as receipts, liquidation report, physical plan, documentary evidence of payment, accomplishment report and acknowledgment receipts as part of the OVP’s compliance to the liquidation of its confidential funds makes its work only ministerial in nature with no way to monitor the expenses of the office.
Camora said CoA lacks the personnel to double-check if what was indicated in the acknowledgment receipt is true.
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