Members of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan, clad in symbolic ‘pusit’ headdresses, hold a protest in front of the House of Representatives in Quezon City on September 10, 2024, coinciding with the budget hearings for the Office of the Vice President. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News/FileMANILA -- Office of the Vice President Chief of Staff Atty. Zuleika Lopez confirmed a letter with her signature sent to the Commission on Audit (COA), requesting the body not to submit audit documents to the House of Representatives.

Quezon 2nd District Rep. David "Jay Jay" Suarez on Wednesday asked Lopez to ascertain if it was her signature affixed on the letter presented at the House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability hearing.

"Ikaw yung sumulat kay Chairman ng COA. At dito sa sulat ninyo, pinapakiusap ninyo kung maaari, huwag i-share ang audit observation ng COA sa kongreso. Totoo po ba ito? Nag-issue po kayo ng sulat sa COA ng August 21,2024. Tama po ba o mali?," he asked. 

"Yes, your honor," Lopez answered.

In a letter dated August 21,2024, it said the OVP asked the COA to not comply with the subpoena duces tecum of the House to submit all documents regarding the audit of the 2022 and 2023 confidential funds of the OVP and Department of Education. 

It said the subpoena violates the constitutional principle of separation of powers.

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"It is clear that: (a) the subpoena was not issued in aid of legislation and thus exceeds the legislative power of inquiry; and (b) its issuance impermissibly interferes with exclusive functions of the Commission on Audit ("COA") and infringes upon the independence of the Commission," the letter read.

The letter also said Congress "has now power to participate or otherwise take part in any audit process." It adds, obtaining information on pending audit does not serve the purpose of drafting or remedying legislation. 

At the end of the letter, OVP urged COA to "uphold the paramount confidentiality of the information being sought by the subpoena."

"May kinalaman po ba ang Bise Presidente sa sulat na ito? Oo or hindi?" Rep. Suarez asked, to which Lopez answered in the affirmative. 

The Quezon congressman then inquired why she wrote the letter in the first place.

"Sa sulat na ito, ipinapakiusap niyo ang COA na hindi sumunod sa subpoena ng Kongreso para hindi ibigay yung COA report sa Kongreso. Sa aking pananaw…. this is one way of covering the truth. Kung wala kayong tinatago bakit niyo papakiusapan ang isang ahensya na hindi ishare ang dokumento patungkol sa isinasagawa ng isa pang ahensya," he asked.

"The letter does not in any way seek to undermine the power of Congress with regards to the power of the purse. It is a request to the COA given that there is still an ongoing investigation. That's why we requested since hindi pa naman natatapos yung audit, hindi naman din po tama na ibigay yung ganung documents," Lopez replied. 

Lopez said she did not act on her own since she consulted with OVP Assistant Chief of Staff Lemuel Ortonio, who was not present at the hearing.

Rep. Suarez also asked Lopez why she was the one answering the COA's audit observations if she has no knowledge.

"Even from other regular audits… All external communications I sign off on it," she said.

But for the congressman, he believes the request was an attempt at a cover-up.

"Maaring totoo ang sinasabi niyo na hindi pa tapos ang audit. Pero that's not your call to make.  That's COA's call to make. Mukha kasing ayaw niyo malaman ng taongbayan kung paano niyo ginastos yung P612M na confidential funds ng Office of the Vice President at pati po ng DepEd," Rep. Suarez reiterated. 

"Napakahirap paniwalaan yung taong nakapirma sa sulat na yan ay walang kinalaman patungkol sa isyu na kanyang pinapakiusap sa Commission on Audit. No one in their right will affix their signature in a document they do not have knowledge of," he added.

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"NO KNOWLEDGE OF CONFIDENTIAL FUNDS"

Earlier in the hearing, Lopez said she has "no personal knowledge" on the OVP's utilization, disbursement and liquidation of its confidential funds.

"In the Office of the Vice President, although I am Undersecretary and the Chief of Staff, I am purely handling operational concerns. There are areas, for example, that I am not privy to, one of which is the matter of confidential expenses," she said.

"Although I would wish to answer really, respectfully as regards the matter of confidential expenses, it is something that I have not really been privy to from the very beginning," Lopez added.

OVP Director for Administrative and Finance Services Rosalynne Sanchez earlier identified Lopez as among those with knowledge on how confidential funds were used by OVP and DepEd. She said the other two are Special Disbursement Officer Gina Acosta and Vice President Sara Duterte, who were not present at Wednesday's hearing.

"Your honor, mister chair, because that is the truth. I really have no personal knowledge as regards to the matter of confidential funds," Lopez replied when asked about the remarks of Sanchez. 

The OVP official is among the subjects of an Immigration Bulletin Lookout Order issued by the Department of Justice earlier this month.

READ: Immigration on lookout for 7 OVP officials who snubbed House hearings

Lopez appeared before the House panel for the first time in its sixth hearing, after returning from the United States to tend to a medical emergency.

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