OVP Chief-of-staff Zuleika Lopez (left), Vice President Sara Duterte(PPAB)

Office of the Vice President (OVP) Chief-of-staff Zuleika Lopez confirmed to congressmen  that she--upon the orders of Vice President Sara Duterte--demanded the resignation of at least four Department of Education (DepEd) officials without the benefit of due process. 

Drawing this information from Lopez during the marathon House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability hearing Wednesday, Nov. 20 was Batangas 2nd district Rep. Gerville “Jinky Bitrics” Luistro.

Among the officials allegedly forced to resign by Duterte, who was the DepEd secretary for the past two years, was Undersecretary Gloria Jumamil-Mercado. 

Mercado had previously testified to the panel about Duterte's alleged practice of distributing cash envelopes to DepEd officials.

Lopez, a lawyer, told Luistro that Mercado and the others was asked to resign solely on the basis of "loss of trust and confidence" from the "principal", who was the Vice President. 

"I was instructed by the Vice President to call Usec. Mercado and tell her that the principal has lost her trust and confidence in her," Lopez told members of the committee, which had been investigating the alleged misuse of P612.5 million in confidential funds by offices held by Duterte. 

The Batangas solon, herself a lawyer, asked Lopez whether or not Mercado was given a copy of a complaint, called to a hearing, or given a resolution.

“No, your honor,” the OVP chief-of-staff answered to all these questions.

Shocked, Luistro told Lopez: “You will agree with me that this is a very serious thing, asking somebody to resign somebody who has rendered service in the government for more than 30 years already. Tama po ba? (Is that right?)” 

Lopez’s responses revealed that Mercado was essentially left without recourse, since her explanations during the meeting were disregarded. 

"I told her the reasons why the principal has already lost her trust and confidence, but I also told her that I was not the person she was to talk to because I am not part of DepEd," Lopez admitted.

Luistro assailed Lopez’s rationale.

“When you will be advising Usec Mercado that she has to tender her courtesy resignation, you will be claiming that that is an instruction coming from your principal. And now that USec Mercado is trying to explain herself, you will be telling her that you do not belong to DepEd,” she pointed out.

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Not isolated 

Lopez defended her actions by repeatedly saying that she was merely following orders from Duterte, who was both Vice President and DepEd chief at that time. 

"It was an instruction given to me by my principal," said Lopez, who even claimed that it was an "isolated incident".

But the lady solon debunked this as soon as Lopez herself admitted she similarly facilitated the dismissal of three other DepEd officials, also due to loss of trust and confidence from Duterte. 

"When I say isolated, ma’am, I use the term in a manner that it is not something I do regularly. It is only upon instruction of the Vice President," explained Lopez.

Also told to resign sans due process according to Lopez were Usec. Kris Ablan, Assistant Secretary Christopher Lawrence Arnuco, Usec. Jose Arturo “Brady” de Castro, and Mercado herself. 

"Do you honestly believe na...isolated pa ‘yan? (Do you honestly believe that...it's still isolated?)" Luistro retorted.

The lawyer-legislator argued that the lack of a complaint, hearing, or resolution in the cases of the DepEd officials constituted "constructive dismissal".

“What happened to Usec Mercado happened also to these three other DepEd officials…And therefore, what you did to them [was] constructive dismissal,” Luistro said.

Lopez ended up being cited for contempt and ordered detained within House premises near the end of the10-hour hearing.