The House good government and public accountability panel on Friday rejected Vice President Sara Duterte’s request to join her chief-of-staff, Zuleika Lopez, in detention until November 25 in Batasang Pambansa Complex.
House good government and public accountability panel chairman Joel Chua said Duterte cannot be allowed to be detained with Lopez because she is not the subject of the detention order to begin with.
“Hindi po siya (Vice President Duterte) allowed [sa loob ng detention] kasi hindi naman siya detainee,” Chua said in a press conference.
“Hindi po natin napagbigyan kasi mayroon po tayong sinusunod na guidelines,” Chua added.
Chua, however, said the House panel allowed Duterte to visit Lopez last night and today.
House of Representatives Sergeant at Arms Napoleon Taas, for his part, said the Vice President defied House rules by camping overnight inside the office of her brother, Davao City Representative Paolo Duterte, after her visit to Lopez last night.
Taas said the House personnel repeatedly requested the Vice President and her party to leave Batasang Pambansa, to no avail.
The Vice President remains in Batasang Pambansa as of the moment.
Lopez has been cited in contempt and ordered detained until Monday, November 25, when the panel resumes its probe on Office of the Vice President (OVP) and DepEd budget use.
Lopez has been cited in contempt after she confirmed that she signed a letter asking state auditors not to comply with a subpoena from the House appropriations panel concerning submission of audit reports on the confidential fund use of the OVP and DepEd in years 2022 and 2023.
The Vice President has maintained that she has never misused public funds, and that the ongoing House panel inquiry is not in aid of legislation but a dry run of an impeachment bid against her.
–VAL, GMA Integrated News
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