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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Criminal, drug lord, gangster? Sara scoffs at cops over hospitalized OVP exec

Criminal, drug lord, gangster? Sara scoffs at cops over hospitalized OVP exec

Published Nov 23, 2024 02:04 am

Vice President Sara Duterte on Saturday, Nov. 23, decried the presence of several police personnel to transfer her chief-of-staff, Office of the Vice President (OVP) Undersecretary Zuleika Lopez, to a hospital from the House of Representatives’ custodial facility, where she fell ill and collapsed.

VPSD_Zuleika.jpg(From right) Vice President Sara Duterte and OVP Undersecretary Zuleika Lopez (Photos from the House of Representatives via Facebook)

The official, who accompanied her aide at the St. Luke’s Medical Center in Quezon City, called out policemen for allegedly wasting manpower to ensure Lopez’s transfer.

“Itong nag-uutos na pulis, parang kriminal iyong kanila binabantayan. Tingnan nyo (These policemen, they make it look like they’re guarding a criminal),” she told reporters during an interview outside the hospital.

Duterte noticed that the Philippine National Police’s (PNP) Special Weapons And Tactics (SWAT) team was even sent to the hospital where Lopez is confined.

“Tingnan nyo ‘yung palibot. Anong klaseng pulis yan? SWAT? Tingnan nyo ang dami ng SWAT diyan. Ano iyon gangster, drug lord (Look at them. What kind of police are those, SWAT? Look, there are so many SWAT there. Are they guarding a gangster, drug lord)?,” she asked.

“Chief-of-staff lng iyon ng Office of the Vice President na, for the record, hindi nag-abscond, hindi fugitive, nag-attend ng hearing, nagpa-detain to cooperate (She’s only the chief-of-staff of the Office of the Vice President who, for the record, did not abscond, is not a fugitive, attended the hearing, allowed herself to be detained to cooperate),” she stressed.

Duterte even compared it to how the police earlier arrested Duterte ally, Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) founder Apollo Quiboloy, for sex trafficking charges.

“Para ito kay Quiboloy (It’s similar to Quiboloy). They are wasting 300 personnel para hanapin ang isang tao (to look for one person). They are wasting so much manpower dito para bantayan ang isang tao na na-contempt lang (to guard one person who was merely cited in contempt),” she said.

Duterte argued that Lopez wouldn’t have been able to escape because “she’s hysterical, she’s in pain, she is nauseous.”

She also alleged that what happened to her chief-of-staff, who was cited in contempt and ordered detained at the House from Nov. 21 to 25 and was ordered transferred to the Women’s Correctional Facility in Mandaluyong City after Duterte camped in her brother’s office at the House, was “attempted homicide.”

“Naniniwala ako (I believe) it was attempted homicide because she feared for her life,” she told reporters.

She shared that Lopez, who attended the Nov. 21 hearing by the House good government committee for the first time, was visibly anxious whenever she sees uniformed police.

“Kasi imagine mo ba naman, nine ang biglang papasok sa kwarto mo (Imagine that nine will enter your room) . . . Why do you have to antagonize a detainee who is fully cooperating sa lahat (in all)?,” Duterte asked.

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.

Related Tags

OVP SWAT Sara Duterte Zuleika Lopez
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