It seemed to Vice President Sara Duterte that House Speaker Martin Romualdez has “won” after her chief-of-staff, Office of the Vice President (OVP) Undersecretary Zuleika Lopez, said she would resign from her post.
(From right) Vice President Sara Duterte and OVP Undersecretary Zuleika Lopez (Photos from the House of Representatives via Facebook)
In an interview on Saturday, Nov. 23, the Vice President shared that Lopez, who was detained at the House custodial facility but was transferred to Veterans Memorial Medical Center (VMMC) after she fell ill and collapsed, already expressed her intention to resign.
“So, yes, on that point, nanalo si Martin Romualdez (Martin Romualdez won). She’s resigning. Tatapusin nya lang ‘yung hearings (She’ll just finish the hearings),” she told reporters.
The official disclosed that she agreed to her chief-of-staff’s decision to resign, and that Lopez already wants to go home to her mother as soon as the attacks against her are finished.
However, in her statement on Sunday, Nov. 24, Duterte said that Lopez’s mother will be arriving tomorrow, Monday.
“She woke up several times in the night, had three dreams of someone smothering her with a pillow. No appetite, kumain ng fruit para makainum gamot (she ate only fruits so she can take medicines),” the official added.
While Lopez let the Vice President see her children, she asked Senator Bong Go to be there in the hospital, as well as lawyers to stay 24 hours outside her room.
“She demanded lawyers stay outside the room 24 hours a day. Gusto niya (She wants) daily lawyer meeting,” Duterte, who will be back at the Veterans hospital later in the evening, shared.
The Vice President stayed overnight at the VMMC, where Lopez was admitted after suffering from a presumed panic attack and collapsed.
This happened after the House good government committee ordered her transfer to the Women’s Correctional Facility in Mandaluyong City amid Duterte’s move to stay at her brother’s office at the Batasang Pambansa to be close to her chief-of-staff, who was detained since the Nov. 21 committee hearing after admitting that she asked the Commission on Audit (COA) not to heed a subpoena on audit reports on the OVP’s liquidation documents regarding its confidential funds.
At the Veterans hospital, Duterte was visited by Senators Bato Dela Rosa, Bong Go, and former presidential legal adviser Salvador Panelo.
She was also seen in a video greeting her supporters who camped out at the hospital grounds. They chanted “Duterte! Duterte!” repeatedly when the Vice President came out.
A prayer rally and candle lighting were also held by her supporters outside the hospital.