Vice President Sara Duterte’s chief-of-staff, Office of the Vice President (OVP) Undersecretary Zuleika Lopez, was rushed to the hospital early morning of Saturday, Nov. 23, after she collapsed and vomited amid an order by the House good government committee to transfer her to the Women’s Correctional Facility.
Vice President Sara Duterte (center) accompanies her chief of staff, OVP Undersecretary Zuleika Lopez on stretcher inside an ambulance. (Screenshot from contributed video)
Lopez was put on a stretcher and brought from the House’s custodial facility, where she was detained after the Nov. 21 committee hearing on the OVP’s disbursement of confidential funds, to the Veteran’s Memorial Hospital via a Philippine National Police (PNP) ambulance.
Duterte, who had been staying at Davao City 1st District Rep. Paolo Duterte’s office at the House of Representatives, to purportedly be close to Lopez and be able to visit her, was seen riding the ambulance with Lopez.
“I don’t know. Hindi ko alam paano mag-assess. Meron doctor naman (I don’t know how to assess. There’s a doctor already),” she said when asked about her aide’s condition.
The Vice President shared that Lopez vomited and subsequently collapsed, which was why she was brought to the hospital.
She was later transferred to St. Luke's Medical Center in Quezon City.
Prodded if Lopez has a pre-existing health condition, Duterte answered, “Hindi ko alam (I don’t know).”
An earlier press conference showed an emotional Lopez who said the order by the House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability to transfer her to the women’s correctional was a threat to her life.
The House panel held a special meeting on Friday, Nov. 22, where lawmakers unanimously agreed to the transfer.
Lopez was cited in contempt last Nov. 21 for “undue interference” after she admitted asking the Commission on Audit (COA) not to comply with the House’s subpoena on audit reports on the OVP’s liquidation documents regarding the confidential funds.
The panel is likewise looking into the disbursement of confidential funds at the Department of Education (DepEd) when Duterte was still it’s secretary.