House postpones hearing to pave way for NBI’s subpoena vs Sara Duterte | ABS-CBN

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House postpones hearing to pave way for NBI’s subpoena vs Sara Duterte

House postpones hearing to pave way for NBI’s subpoena vs Sara Duterte

Vivienne Gulla,

ABS-CBN News

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MANILA - The House panel investigating the confidential expenses of the offices led by Vice President Sara Duterte postponed its Friday hearing to give way to the National Bureau of Investigation’s (NBI) subpoena that requires her presence on the same day.

“Nagkaroon siya ng presscon at sinasabi niya kaya hindi siya pupunta bukas sa NBI dahil mayroon daw siyang committee hearing na a-attend-an. ‘Yun ang ipinarating sa akin ng mga kasama ko na parang ang nangyari ay kami pa ang nagiging dahilan o excuse para hindi siya maka-attend,” House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability Chairperson Rep. Joel Chua said in a press conference on Thursday.

“’Yung issue sa NBI ay mabigat po. It concerns national security. Kaya kami ay magbibigay, nang sa ganoon ay hindi kami magamit na dahilan para hindi siya makarating bukas,” he added.

“Maraming miyembro ang tumawag sa akin patungkol sa issue na ito, kaya kami kanina ay nagdesisyon na i-postpone ang committee hearing for tomorrow to pave way sa imbestigasyon ng NBI,” Chua noted.

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Other lawmakers expressed support for the panel’s decision.

“Ayaw nating maging rason o hadlang ang komite, gawing rason ang blue ribbon committee para hindi harapin ni Vice President Sara, lalong lalo na ‘yung subpoena sa kanya ng NBI, dahil napakalaking usapin ito. Lalong lalo na patungkol sa national security ng ating bansa,” Committee Vice Chairperson Rep. Jefferson Khonghun said.

The NBI subpoenaed Duterte to its headquarters on Friday to explain her statement that she contacted an assassin to kill President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., House Speaker Martin Romualdez, and First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, should an alleged plot to kill her succeed.

But the Vice President said Wednesday that she requested to reschedule the summons to prioritize a hearing at the House of Representatives, where her aides were being questioned on the use of confidential funds.

UPDATE ON LOPEZ

The detention order issued by the House panel against OVP Chief of Staff Zuleika Lopez will end on Saturday.

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She was previously cited in contempt over “undue interference” in House proceedings, after writing a letter to the Commission on Audit, seeking to keep confidential its audit reports on the OVP and the Department of Education’s 2022 and 2023 confidential funds, which were subject of a subpoena issued by a House panel.

Last Monday, Lopez sought to be excused from the House Committee on Good Gov't hearing, saying she was diagnosed with “acute stress disorder,” and was admitted to the government-owned Veterans Memorial Medical Center.

"Humihingi pa kami ng update sa House Sergeant at Arms, para ma-verify 'yung talagang health condition ni Atty. Lopez. Once na nakatanggap kami, that’s the time na pag-uusapan namin at pagdedesisyunan ng committee kung ano ang aming gagawin,” Chua said.

“Gusto rin ng komite na masiguro na nasa maayos at magandang kalagayan si Atty. Lopez bago siguro siya muling humarap sa komite ng Blue Ribbon,” Khonghun added.

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