The House Committee on Good and Public Accountability deemed a “cover-up” the absence of close associates of Vice President Sara Duterte from its probe into the so-called misuse of the office’s P500 million in confidential funds.

Panel chairperson Joel Chua said he suspects that OVP Undersecretary and Chief of Staff Zuleika Lopez and Special Disbursing Officer Gina Acosta skipping Monday’s inquiry had the blessings of the higher-ups.

“What we see here is that they are sending the career officials who we think are not really concerned. It seems like there is a cover-up on this issue,” Chua told reporters in a briefing on Tuesday.

At the fifth hearing on Monday, OVP career officials namely Administrative and Financial Services Director Rosalynne Sanchez, Chief Accountant Julieta Villadelrey, Budget Division Chief Edelyn Rabago, and Chief Administrative Officer Kelvin Gerome Tenido finally appeared before the committee following a threat from Chua of arrest order.

The four were among the seven OVP executives who were subpoenaed by the panel for their continuously disobeying summons to attend the legislative investigation despite show-cause orders.

Notwithstanding the panel’s stern warning, Lopez and Acosta, both reportedly responsible for overseeing the OVP’s secret funds along with Duterte, were still a no-show on Monday.

Lopez, who left the country from Los Angeles, California a day before she was scheduled to appear before the committee last week, reasoned that she had to travel abroad, citing her sick aunt.

The OVP previously confirmed that Lopez’s travel authority had Duterte’s go-signal. Lawmakers the departure was “very suspicious” regardless of whether it involved personal matters.