MANILA, Philippines – Inaprubahan ng House of Representatives Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability ang mosyon na i-cite in contempt si Office of the Vice President (OVP) chief-of-staff Zuleika Lopez dahil sa “undue interference” sa imbestigasyon ng panel sa confidential funds ng opisina ni Vice President Sara Duterte.
Ang mosyon ay ginawa ni ACT Teacher’s Party-list Representative France Castro kaugnay sa liham na ipinadala ng OVP sa Commission on Audit (COA) na humihiling dito na huwag tumugon sa subpoena ng House panel na magpasa ng audit reports sa paggamit ng OVP at Department of Education ng confidential funds nito.
“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,” sinabi ni Castro.
Naunang kinumpirma ni Lopez na ang liham, na pirmado noong Agosto 21, ay humihiling sa COA na “the subject Subpoena should not be complied with,” was legit.
Nag-isyu ng subpoena ang House appropriations committee noong Agosto para sa audit reports sa paggamit ng confidential funds ng OVP at DepEd mula 2022 hanggang 2023.
“Tama lang ba na request lang sa COA na huwag pagbigyan yung aming request for the subpoena?” tanong ni Castro kay Lopez.
Nanindigan ang OVP na ito ay “respectful request” lamang sa COA.
“Hindi po siga-siga ang OVP. 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,” sinabi pa ni Lopez.
Matapos na aprubahan ng panel ang contempt order ni Castro ay sinuspinde ng ilang minuto ang pagdinig.
Sa pagpapatuloy ng pagdinig, humiling si Lopez sa komite na muling irekonsidera ang 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,” pakiusap nito.
“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.”
Hindi naman nagpatinag si Castro sa kanyang mosyon at sinabing si Lopez ay “evasive” sa mga tanong ng mga mambabatas sa kabuuan ng 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,” aniya.
“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.”
Inihirit din ni Castro na i-detain si Lopez ng hanggang 10 araw o hanggang Nobyembre 25. RNT/JGC
