By Miriam G. Desacada
Tacloban City–House Minority Floor Leader Marcelino “Nonoy” Libanan has urged UnderSecretary Zuleika Lopez, chief of staff of the Office of the Vice President (OVP), to grab the opportunity this time to defend herself by appearing before the congressional hearings on the alleged misuse of public funds.
“Normally, individuals who are blameless, when asked to explain, would seize the first available occasion to clear themselves of any wrongdoing,” Libanan said in a statement.
The House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability, in a hearing held on Monday, cited four other OVP officials in contempt for repeatedly snubbing the scheduled hearings.
The contempt citations, bearing a detention order, were against OVP Assistant Secretary and assistant Chief of Staff Lemuel Ortonio, Gina Acosta, Sunshine Fajarda, and Edward Fajarda.
“Their continued nonappearance, without a credible explanation, is bound to reinforce the perception that they are trying to evade responsibility for potential irregularities,” Libanan warned.
Lopez also failed to attend the November 11 hearing, but was spared of a contempt citation and given one last chance to attend the next hearing, after she wrote a letter to the committee explaining that she was in the US to take care of a sick aunt.
However, Libanan described as “strange and out of the ordinary” the repeated absence of Lopez and the four other OVP officials, despite multiple summons.
“If they have nothing to hide, then they should show up at the hearings. They should answer and dispute the allegations of anomalies,” Libanan said.
Lopez left the county on November 4, or the day before the slated hearing on November 5. —Miriam G. Desacada