Vice President Sara Duterte and her chief of staff Zuleika Lopez. Maria Tan and Vivienne Gulla, ABS-CBN News

MANILA — A lawmaker said Tuesday that some staffers at Vice President Sara Duterte’s office were “protecting” her top aide Zuleika Lopez on the issue of confidential fund use, which a House panel was probing. 

During Monday’s hearing, Rep. Dan Fernandez said OVP assistant chief of staff Lemuel Ortonio and special disbursing officer Gina Acosta denied Lopez knew about the disbursement of the confidential funds. 

“Ang kanilang objective ay para maproteksyunan si Zuleika Lopez, na wala siyang alam sa pagdi-disburse ng P125 million per quarter. Kami naman, dini-divulge namin sa kanila na hindi, kitang-kita naman na may alam si Zuleika sa confidential funds. As a matter of fact, siya ang nakapirma,” Fernandez told TeleRadyo Serbisyo. 

“Sinasabi nga nila kahapon noong tinatanong ko kay Ortonio kung pinapirmahan niya lang kay Lopez without reading it, sinabi niya na binasa. So kung binasa, alam. In other words, alam niya yung paglalabas ng pera. Pero sinasabi nila, hindi alam ni Zuleika. Kitang-kita mo rito yung pagpoproteksyon sa COS (chief of staff). Ang tanong dito, bakit?”  

OVP exec explains where P125-M confidential funds were used

Acosta said she gave the P125 million confidential funds to a certain “Col. Lachica” from the Vice Presidential Security and Protection Group. She said she did not know where he brought the funds.

“Kaya nga tinatanong namin yung acknowledgement receipt. We need to clarify that,” Fernandez said. 

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The OVP’s confidential fund use has also faced questions over a certain "Mary Grace Piattos," whose name appeared on acknowledgment receipts submitted to state auditors in 2022. 

Some House members have described the individual as a "fictitious" entity possibly named after a restaurant and a snack.

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“Sinasabi ni Acosta, meron daw Piattos sa Davao, may mga Piattos daw doon sa Davao… Sino yun? Hindi nga nila mai-describe kung sino,” Fernando said.   

When she was being questioned about Mary Grace Piattos, Kokoy Villamin and other personalities that were in the acknowledgement receipts, Acosta said no and added that she was feeling shaky. 

She was later brought out of the hearing on a wheelchair and rushed to a hospital. 

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Duterte secured the House panel’s permission to accompany Acosta. 

Last Friday, the House-detained Lopez also reportedly experienced bouts of vomiting and fainting spells after lawmakers ordered her transfer to the Correctional Institute for Women. She was instead rushed to the Veterans Memorial Medical Center in Quezon City. 

READ: VP Duterte feuds with lawmakers who detained her top aide

Fernandez said he wanted a closer scrutiny of the health status of OVP personnel leaving the hearings. 

“Dapat pati yung mga medical certificate, yung mga certificate of kanilang confinement, dapat ‘yan under oath, dapat ‘yan notarized para may responsibility yung mga doctors na mag-i-issue nyan,” he said. 

He added that Duterte and Lopez should be invited to the next hearing. 

“Sinasabi nila na wala siyang (Lopez) alam sa confidential funds, pinirmahan niya nang hindi niya alam kung anong pinirmahan niya, hindi niya alam na nilabas ang pera quarterly. This is something that bothered yung aming pag-iisip dahil nga COS ka, hindi mo alam,” the lawmaker said. 

“Hindi mo alam yung inilalabas na pera? Are you sure totoo? Or inililigtas ka lang? Yun ang mga bagay na dapat nating maintindihan,” he added. 

Duterte has denied allegations of corruption and fund misuse, saying that the House investigation was part of political persecution.

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