7 Nobyembre,2024 Huwebes
No to Divorce!!!
Get well soon Nanay Angelita Santiago-Lopez
No to SOGIE bill
PM for any hospital discharge problem
Happy Birthday Rosita Belmonte-Jose more birthdays to come
Happy Birthday Jo Ephraim Lopez more birthdays to come
Deepest sympathy to the family of the late Jocelyn “Jo” Lising-Abelgas
ILBO issued vs 7 OVP, DepEd execs
By Nidz Godino
“ILBO is not restriction to their right to travel, but merely monitoring mechanism by which we can see if they left or enter the country,” Department of Justice (DOJ) spokesman Mico Clavano said six officials of Office of the Vice President (OVP) and former education official have been placed under immigration lookout bulletin (ILBO).
Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla signed on Nov. 6 ILBO against OVP chief of staff Zuleika Lopez, assistant chief of staff and bids and awards committee chairman Lemuel Ortonio, administrative and financial services director Rosalynne Sanchez, special disbursing officers Gina Acosta and Edward Fajarda, chief accountant Julieta Villadelrey and former Department of Education (DepEd) assistant secretary Sunshine Charry Fajarda.
Seven have ignored subpoenas from House committee on good government and public accountability investigating alleged misuse of funds of OVP and DepEd under Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio.
ILBO instructs immigration officers to alert authorities should subjects attempt to leave the country. But it does not prevent them from leaving.
Only hold-departure order and warrant of arrest issued by courts can prevent accused from leaving the country.
ILBO has been forwarded to Bureau of Immigration (BI) for implementation.
However, BI spokesperson Dana Sandoval said bureau had not yet received copy of ILBO as of past 5 in the afternoon. yesterday.
OVP said chief of staff Lopez left the country for “personal trip” that was approved by the Vice President. Lopez is expected to return on Nov. 16.
“OVP chief of staff’s travel was personal and unrelated to her employment with OVP,” OVP said in statement. “Usec. Lopez appropriately submitted documents required of traveling government officials, approved by the Vice President.”
“Speculations about the purpose of this travel are unfounded and unnecessary…we request to respect privacy of the family on this difficult time,” the OVP stressed.
Lopez left the country on the eve of scheduled resumption of House panel looking into Vice President’s alleged misuse of public funds, particularly confidential funds, worth total of P612.5 million in both OVP and Department of Education (DepEd).
Immigration records indicate Lopez left the country at 7 in the evening on Monday via Philippine Airlines flight to Los Angeles, California.
Five of the six others subpoenaed OVP officials are still in the country based on their latest travel records. Only Acosta’s status remains unclear due to multiple individuals with same name.
Staff members of Vice President do not have to leave the country if they indeed have nothing to hide regarding records of how hundreds of millions in confidential funds were spent, Manila 3rd district Rep. Joel Chua said.
“Their continued defiance and refusal to attend our hearings indicate evasion from accountability…if they really have clear intentions, they should explain to the people where they spent all these funds,” he said.
Chua committee’s investigation centers on P500 million in confidential funds allocated to OVP and additional P112.5 million allocated to DepEd during Duterte’s tenure as secretary, from mid-2022 until July 19 this year.
Liquidation reports submitted by OVP for P23.8-million confidential funds in 2022 proved to be “belatedly prepared,” after Commission on Audit (COA) records show acknowledgment receipts were either “bogus or spurious.”
Rep. Rodge Gutierrez of 1Rider party-list made this revelation during Tuesday’s hearing, where he disclosed 158 questionable acknowledgment receipts, some dated 2023 but submitted to justify 2022 expenses.
“So what you’re saying is OVP exceeded in their liquidation reports…am I correct in my interpretation…your guess is as good as ours… could also be that these ARs, acknowledgment receipts were belatedly prepared,” Chua asked Gutierrez.
Gutierrez observed, noting liquidation papers bore December 2023 date when “no confidential fund” was disbursed during this period.
COA lawyer Gloria Camora admitted before committee that there may have been “inadvertence and typographical mistakes” committed by OVP personnel. She also confirmed there was “no intelligence funds” released in the third quarter of 2023, negating need for ARs.
“One of the findings under COA notice of suspension is that some ARs were dated December 2023, and some were even undated…OVP said they inadvertently contained clerical or typographical errors indicating 2023 instead of 2022,” she conceded.
There were also ARs bearing not just “similar handwritings, same color of ballpens in common pattern,” but also having same set of signatories like certain “AAS” and “JOV” who received total of P280,000 and P920,000 for “purchase of information,” respectively, allegedly in December 2022.
There were also 776 ARs, 302 of which bore “unreadable names” with five “repeated names.”
“More likely, this was same mistake committed by perhaps few persons…are these ARs spurious…are they bogus…are they false …we want to make sure that this doesn’t happen again… accountability should be had on this,” Gutierrez asked.
Meanwhile, Sen. Imee Marcos would rather move on instead of commenting on rift between her brother President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.and her friend, the Vice President.
“That’s old news…let’s just continue with our work,” Sen. Marcos said on sidelines of her visit in San Jose del Monte City, Bulacan….she denied having ill feelings for Duterte, after the latter questioned her brother’s ability to govern and even imagined beheading the President out of anger at him.
Senator Marcos added that her friendship with Duterte remains intact. “What is important for me is to enter into any alliance… I want to talk to everyone… I don’t want to pick fights, they say I have too strong personality… true, I admit…but I don’t want to get into fights… I just want to work,” said Marcos, who is seeking reelection next year.
Marcos would campaign independently for next year’s midterm elections. While she is part of her brother’s administration alliance senatorial slate, Marcos said she would campaign alone under Nacionalista Party.
“It is better that I run independent and have solo flight,” Marcos said.
House lawmakers thanked their colleagues in Senate for their decision to keep P733-million budget allocation for OVP for 2025, which congressmen slashed by P1.3 billion.
“We’re grateful that Senate has shown commitment to fiscal responsibility and transparency…this move underscores our shared commitment to eliminate redundant roles and ensure government spending prioritizes efficient public service,” Rep. Zaldy Co said.
The chairman of the House appropriations committee lauded Senate for aligning with its position that significant portion of OVP’s budget is allocated to overlapping functions with other government agencies. Also slashed were OVP’s rental expenses for 10 satellite offices and two extensions.
“Senate’s support of OVP budget cuts is significant step toward ensuring that each peso serves public effectively,” he said, adding streamlined government spending paves way for more transparent fiscal administration.
ISKUP! 