House panel lifts detention order for 4 OVP officials cited in contempt

MANILA, Philippines — The House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability granted furlough to four of Vice President Sara Duterte's officials who were previously ordered detained for skipping six hearings.

After the Office of the Vice President's (OVP) officials finally appeared at the seventh hearing on alleged misuse of confidential funds on Monday, November 25, Rep. Joseph Stephen Paduano (Abang Lingkod Partylist) moved to grant them furlough.

“Mr. Chairman, because they voluntarily appeared in today’s hearing, may I move to grant Mr. Lemuel Ortonio, Ms. Sunshine Fajarda, Ms. Gina F. Acosta and Mr. Edward Fajarda … a furlough. So moved, Mr. Chairman,” he said.

Ortonio serves as the OVP's assistant chief of staff, while Acosta is the agency's special disbursing officer responsible for managing the P500 million in confidential funds spent between December 2022 and the third quarter of 2023.

Meanwhile, spouses Edward and Sunshine Fajarda are former officials of the Department of Education (DepEd). Edward, as a special disbursing officer, handled P112.5 million in confidential funds, while Sunshine, an assistant secretary, was allegedly involved in distributing cash envelopes to high-ranking DepEd officials under Duterte's instructions.

The motion, duly seconded, was unanimously approved by the members present when the contempt citations were issued during previous hearings.

However, Paduano clarified that despite their attendance, the earlier violations remain unresolved. The four OVP officials had been cited in contempt for violating Section 11 of the House rules on inquiries, which refers to the “refusal without legal excuse to obey summons.”

In a text message to Philstar.com, Paduano said the furlough does not lift the contempt orders against the four officials. It merely exempts them from detention, which had been ordered alongside the contempt citations.

“[The] contempt order is still in effect. Furlough was given with the commitment for them to be present at the next succeeding hearings. They can go home and not [be] in the custody of the sergeant-at-arms,” he said. 

Ortonio expressed gratitude on behalf of the four OVP officials for the