Vice President Sara Duterte has brushed off accusations of obstructing the House good government panel's investigation into the Office of the Vice President's alleged misuse of confidential funds, saying her staff's repeated absence from the hearings was due to anniversary preparations.

Lawmakers from the House of Representatives on Tuesday claimed that Vice President Sara Duterte is behind efforts to cover up for her subordinates who are being sought to answer questions amid the ongoing House panel probe on the budget of her office and the Department of Education (DepEd).

Vice President Sara Duterte’s chief of staff, Undersecretary Zuleika Lopez, was given a last chance to skip the congressional probe into the alleged misuse of public funds in the Office of the Vice President (OVP).