The House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability has issued subpoenas to several officials of the Office of the Vice President (OVP) for repeatedly failing to attend hearings concerning the use of the OVP’s confidential funds.
Subpoenas were directed at OVP Chief of Staff Undersecretary Zuleika Lopez and other key officials, as their absence was noted for the third consecutive time during the hearings.
The OVP officials argued that the blue ribbon hearing lacked a “legislative objective or outcome” and questioned the committee’s jurisdiction.
During the hearings, committee members uncovered P16 million in receipts believed to be related to the rental of safehouses, raising concerns about the transparency of the expenditures.
Commission on Audit (CoA) representative Gloria Camora stated that her office’s role is limited to accepting documentation, making it challenging to verify the accuracy of the expenses reported by the OVP.
Source: PhilNews24 | October 18, 2024
