A House panel has called on the Department of Justice (DoJ) to issue an immigration lookout bulletin order against seven officials of the Office of the Vice President (OVP) amid concerns of an alleged plan to flee the country during an ongoing investigation into alleged financial irregularities.

Manila Representative Joel Chua, chairperson of the House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability, made this request to Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla after receiving a tip that the officials were considering leaving the country.

“This action is imperative to monitor their movements and prevent any potential attempt to flee, which could significantly hinder our investigation and broader efforts to uphold the integrity of public service,” Chua stated in his letter.

The officials facing scrutiny include former Department of Education (DepEd) Assistant Secretary Sunshine Charry Fajarda, SDO Edward Fajarda, OVP Chief of Staff Zuleika Lopez, Assistant Chief of Staff and Bids and Awards Committee Chair Lemuel Ortonio, Administrative and Financial Services Director Rosalynne Sanchez, Special Disbursing Officer Gina Acosta, and Chief Accountant Julieta Villadelrey.

The panel issued subpoenas for the individuals due to their repeated refusals to attend hearings regarding alleged mismanagement and irregularities in the OVP’s funds.

The investigation stems from findings by the Commission on Audit (CoA), which flagged P125 million in confidential funds that the OVP spent over just 11 days in December 2022, during Vice President Sara Duterte’s first year in office.

The audit revealed that P73.287 million of these expenses were disallowed, averaging over P11 million spent daily during this period. CoA has ordered the OVP to return the disallowed expenses to the government, holding Duterte, Acosta, and Villadelrey accountable.

Despite the inquiry commencing in September, none of the implicated OVP officials have participated in the hearings.

Chua’s panel has also expanded its investigation to include alleged irregularities within the DepEd during Duterte’s tenure, which lasted nearly two years until her resignation on 19 July.

Lawmakers are particularly concerned about P112.5 million in confidential funds that remain unaccounted for, despite being withdrawn as cash advances by one of Duterte’s close aides while she served as Secretary of the DepEd.

Three checks

The funds in question were withdrawn via three separate checks of P37.5 million each, issued to then-DepEd SDO Edward Fajarda during the first three quarters of 2023.

Additionally, Fajarda’s wife, Sunshine Charry, has been implicated in previous testimonies.

Former DepEd Undersecretary Gloria Jumamil Mercado testified that she received regular cash payments from the Vice President to influence her decisions in her role as the agency’s head of the procuring entity.

Mercado stated that she received envelopes containing P50,000 each month from February to September 2023, totaling P450,000, allegedly delivered by Assistant Secretary Fajarda on behalf of Vice President Duterte.

During a recent hearing, several military officials, including retired Maj. Gen. Adonis Bajao, Lt. Col. Carlos Sangdaan Jr., and Colonels Manaros Boransing and Magtangol Panopio, denied receiving a P15 million payment from confidential funds allegedly intended for informant rewards.

They clarified that the certifications they issued were for Youth Leadership Summits (YLS), a regular anti-insurgency program led by the Armed Forces of the Philippines in 2023. However, reports indicate that the DepEd misused these certifications to justify a P15 million expense meant for informants.

The House Committee’s efforts to investigate these serious allegations reflect a growing concern about transparency and accountability in the use of public funds. As the investigation unfolds, the focus remains on ensuring that those responsible for any wrongdoing are held accountable, not only to maintain the integrity of public service but also to protect the public’s trust in government institutions.