Sara Duterte Confirms Chief of Staff Zuleika Lopez’s Resignation Amid Crisis
SARA DUTERTE – Vice President Sara Duterte has revealed that her Chief of Staff, Zuleika Lopez, has decided to resign following the emotional and legal challenges she faced during her recent detention.
Vice President Sara Duterte announced that Atty. Zuleika Lopez, the chief of staff for the Office of the Vice President (OVP), who was ordered to be transferred to the Correctional Institute for Women in Mandaluyong after receiving a contempt citation, has stated her decision to step down.
Based on a report from ABS-CBN, Duterte said Lopez was deeply shaken by her detention at the House of Representatives (HOR) custodial center on November 20. Reports indicated that police officers entered Lopez’s detention room around midnight on Saturday to enforce the transfer order to the women’s prison. However, upon learning about the order, Lopez fell ill and was rushed to the hospital.
“Sabi niya, ‘I want to resign. I want to resign from the Office of the Vice President,’ and I told her okay. Sabi niya, ‘I want to go home to my mother,’” Duterte shared during an interview at the Veterans Memorial Medical Center (VMMC).
Despite her wishes, Duterte clarified that Lopez’s request to return home to her mother was currently impossible. The Vice President noted that Lopez had been experiencing severe emotional distress, including nightmares of someone smothering her with a pillow and a loss of appetite.
READ ALSO: Zuleika Lopez Emotional as she Hugs Sara Duterte while PNP Reads Transfer Order
OVP chief of staff, Atty. Zuleika Lopez, expressed her intention to resign from her position.
According to Vice President Sara Duterte, Lopez was deeply traumatized by the recent events surrounding her transfer to the Women’s Correctional. | via @_KarenDeGuzman pic.twitter.com/Wl6NZx1dP9
— ABS-CBN News (@ABSCBNNews) November 23, 2024
In response to Lopez’s fragile state, Senator Christopher “Bong” Go has committed to staying with her during visits to her children. Lopez has also requested round-the-clock legal presence and daily meetings with her lawyers, reflecting her heightened anxiety about her situation.
Lopez was cleared by physicians and discharged from St. Luke’s Medical Center before being transferred to VMMC for further tests. Meanwhile, Police Brig. Gen. Nicolas Torre III of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group clarified that the police were acting under directives from the HOR, with their role limited to securing the detainee.
Concerns about Lopez’s transfer to the Correctional Institute for Women remain, but higher-ups have authorized her continued stay at VMMC. “We will be providing the perimeter security as requested by the HOR,” Torre added.