OVP Usec Zuleika Lopez Rushed To Hospital during Detention, VP Sara Duterte Accompanies her

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Vice Pres. Sara Duterte Visits OVP Chief-of-Staff Detained at House

OVP Undersecretary Attorney Zuleika Lopez was rushed to the hospital during detention and Vice Pres. Sara Duterte accompanied her.

The House panel handling the investigation of the budget use of the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education (DepEd) conducted another hearing over the issue last November 20. However, Vice Pres. Sara Duterte declined to attend the hearing again.

Vice President Sara Duterte
Photo from Inquirer

Meanwhile, several officials of the Office of the Vice President appeared at the hearing. Chief of staff Atty. Zuleika Lopez, Chief Administrative Officer Kevin Gerome Tenido, Chief Accountant Julieta Villadelrey, Director for Administrative and Finance Services Rosalynne Sanchez, and Budget Division officer-in-charge Edelyn Rabago appeared at the inquiry.

However, Atty. Zuleika Lopez and all the other officials of the OVP denied taking part in the disbursement of the controversial Confidential Funds. According to House Speaker Martin Romualdez, Vice Pres. Sara Duterte must attend the probe as she may be the only person who knows how the funds were used.

House Speaker Martin Romualdez

OVP Undersecretary Zuleika Lopez was cited for contempt. The House ordered her detention until Monday, November 25. Vice Pres. Sara Duterte visited her at the House of Representatives.

Vice Pres. Sara Duterte slept over at the House after visiting her office’s chief-of-staff. She stayed at the office of her brother, Davao City First District Representative Paolo “Pulong” Duterte.

Vice Pres. Duterte requested to accompany Lopez during detention but it was declined by the House panel as she is not part of the detention order. According to her, the OVP Chief-of-Staff has health issues and she wants to accompany her for her peace of mind so she can sleep.

Early today, based on a report on GMA News, the House of Representatives ordered the transfer of OVP chief-of-staff Atty. Zuleika Lopez to the Women’s Correctional Facility. However, the lawyer fell ill and had to be rushed to the hospital. Vice Pres. Sara Duterte accompanied her in the ambulance.

Based on the report, Vice Pres. Sara Duterte said that Atty. Zuleika Lopez kept on vomiting and she collapsed. She was rushed to Veterans Memorial Medical Center in Quezon City.

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