The House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability issued another contempt order on Wednesday against Office of the Vice President (OVP) official Lemuel Ortonio for his repeated absence at hearings probing the office’s budget utilization.
Ako Bicol party-list Representative Raul Angelo Bongalon moved to cite Ortonio in contempt, criticizing the OVP official’s letter to the committee as disrespectful and insufficient in justifying his absence.
“With this assurance for him to participate in today’s committee hearing, may I move once more, Mr. Chair, that Mr. Lemuel Ortonio be cited in contempt,” Bongalon said during the session.
He added that Ortonio’s actions reflected “continued defiance” of the committee’s lawful orders and amounted to “a sign of disrespect.”
Manila Representative Joel Chua, who chairs the committee, approved the motion without objections. Bongalon further requested that Ortonio be detained at the Bicutan jail in Taguig for 10 days.
Previous Contempt Orders
The committee had previously cited Ortonio and three other OVP officials—Gina Acosta, Edward Fajarda, and Sunshine Fajarda—for contempt for skipping earlier hearings despite formal invitations. According to the committee secretary, the contempt orders have yet to be served as the officials are reportedly on official travel.
Letters submitted by Acosta, Edward Fajarda, and Sunshine Fajarda cited official business as the reason for their absences. However, the committee secretary noted that no supporting documentation was attached to these claims.
“In other words, this one-pager document is a mere scrap of paper,” Bongalon remarked. “We can always offer an excuse stating this. But as an official, we have to convince this committee that indeed on this particular date they are on official business.”
Bongalon moved to note the letters but stated they could not be accepted as valid excuses for the officials’ absence.
Immigration Alert Issued
The Department of Justice (DOJ) has placed Ortonio, Acosta, and the Fajardas under an Immigration Lookout Bulletin Order (ILBO), alongside three other OVP officials, as investigations continue.
The probe comes amid mounting calls for transparency in the OVP’s budget use, with Vice President Sara Duterte and other key officials also skipping the hearings. Lawmakers have urged Duterte to personally address the concerns, rejecting her affidavit as insufficient.