VP Sara Duterte Thanks People who Helped OVP amid the “Crisis”
SARA DUTERTE – The Vice President expressed her gratitude to the media for exposing the real status of the country.
The Office of the Vice President is currently surrounded by several issues. There are a lot of questions on the spending of the Confidential Funds of the OVP in the House of Representatives. Several hearings have been conducted and Vice Pres. Duterte has skipped most of the said hearings.
However, in one of the recent hearings conducted by the House, OVP chief-of-staff Attorney Zuleika Lopez was cited for “contempt” and was ordered detained at the lower chamber. Vice Pres. Sara Duterte slept over at the House after visiting her OVP Chief-of-Staff.
Duterte requested the House if she can join Lopez during her detention citing health reasons but the lower chamber declined the request. Instead, she took the offer of her brother, Davao City Congressman Paolo Duterte, to stay at his Congressional office.
However, during her detention, Atty. Zuleika Lopez fell ill and was rushed to the hospital. The OVP Chief-of-Staff was brought to the Veterans Memorial Medical Center (VMMC) before she was brought to St. Luke’s Medical Center. However, as per a transfer order, she was transferred back to VMMC.
Recently, following the release of Atty. Zuleika Lopez from the hospital, Vice Pres. Sara Duterte expressed her gratitude to everyone who helped the Office of the Vice President (OVP) amid the “crisis”.
“Nagpapasalamat ang Tanggapan ng Pangalawang Pangulo sa lahat ng mga tumulong, sumuporta, at nagpaabot ng pakikiisa at pagdamay sa opisina nang humarap ito sa krisis at kagipitan kamakailan,” the OVP said.
In her message to the public, Vice Pres. Sara Duterte thanked the media for allegedly continuing to expose the state of the nation and for guarding against injustice. She also thanked the media for reporting the happenings involving the staff members of the OVP.
“Maraming salamat din sa media sa tuloy-tuloy na pagsisiwalat sa kalagayan ng bansa — sa pagbabantay laban sa kawalan ng hustisya, pandarahas at pag-uulat sa sinapit ng mga tauhan ng OVP at sa walang takot na malayang pamamahayag,” Duterte said in a statement released by her office.
Former Pres. Rodrigo Roa Duterte previously expressed his confidence that Vice Pres. Sara Duterte can really handle things amid the issues surrounding her and her office now. According to the former Chief Executive, charges can even be filed against the Vice President and he is confident that she won’t be jailed.
According to Duterte, his then worry was Atty. Lopez’s health. At the hearing prior to her detention at the House, the OVP Chief-of-Staff denied having knowledge over the utilization of the Confidential Funds of the OVP.
Currently, Vice Pres. Duterte is faced with two (2) impeachment complaints and the House Secretary General is looming for more impeachment complaints against the Vice Pres. On the other side, the Iglesia ni Cristo or INC is set to hold a rally against the impeachment moves versus VP Duterte.