MANILA — The Department of Justice (DOJ) on Wednesday (06 Nov 2024) issued an Immigration Lookout Bulletin Order (ILBO) against seven officials from the Office of the Vice President (OVP) in connection with the ongoing investigation into the alleged misuse of public funds.
The ILBO targets OVP chief of staff Zuleika Lopez, assistant chief of staff and bids and awards committee chair Lemuel Ortonio, financial services director Rosalynne Sanchez, special disbursing officers Gina Acosta and Edward Fajarda, chief accountant Julieta Villadelrey, and former DepEd assistant secretary Sunshine Charry Fajarda, who now works with the OVP.
According to DOJ spokesperson Mico Clavano, the order is designed to track the officials’ movements rather than restrict their travel. He confirmed the ILBO would be forwarded to the Bureau of Immigration (BI) for enforcement.
The request for the ILBO came from the House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability, led by Rep. Joel Chua, after the officials failed to appear for subpoenas and hearings. Chua added that there were reports suggesting some of the officials were planning to leave the country. At least one, Lopez, is already abroad on an official trip.
The inquiry was triggered by a privileged speech from Manila Rep. Rolando Valeriano, who cited a Commission on Audit (COA) report that flagged over PHP 73 million in confidential funds spent by the OVP in December 2022, out of an allocated PHP 125 million.
The COA has ordered Vice President Sara Duterte and several OVP officials, including Acosta and Villadelrey, to return the disallowed funds to the government.
ia/mnm
