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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider House panel adds 5 days to OVP chief-of-staff's detention penalty

House panel adds 5 days to OVP chief-of-staff's detention penalty

Published Nov 25, 2024 07:02 am

At A Glance

  • The House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability has extended the detention order onon Zulieka Lopez, chief-of-staff of the Office of the Vice President (OVP), for another five days.

Screenshot_20241123_064318_Viber.jpgOVP Chief-of-staff Zuleika Lopez (PPAB)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lawyer Zuleika Lopez's ordeal--and by extension, Vice President Sara Duterte's--will continue for a few more days

This, after the House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability extended the detention order on Lopez, chief-of-staff of the Office of the Vice President (OVP), for another five days.

Deputy Minority Leader ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. France Castro made the motion to extend Lopez's time in detention during the committee hearing Monday, Nov. 25.

Lopez is currently under House custody at the Veterans Memorial Medical Center (VMMC) in Quezon City.

It was last Nov. 20, during the previous panel hearing, that Lopez was cited for contempt due to "undue interference in the conduct of proceedings". The contempt citation came with a detention order.

"In view of what happened during the last two days or so, I would like to consider to move for a reconsideration of our resolution insofar as it limited the period of detention for only five days. I move Mr. Chair that the period of detention of Atty. Lopez be 10 days instead of five days," Castro, a Makabayan member, said.

SAGIP Party-list Rep. Rodante Marcoleta, a non-member, tried to block Castro's motion.

But Marcoleta's actions were for naught, as the panel chairman, Manila 3rd district Rep. Joel Chua, subsequently approved the motion to extend Lopez's penalty. 

This means that the OVP chief-of-staff would have spent a total of 10 days in detention, the maximum allowed based on the nature of her offense.

Attending the hearing only for the second time in seven outings was Lopez's boss, Vice President Duterte. She is the focal person in Chua panel's inquiry on the alleged misuse of confidential and intelligence funds (CIFs) amounting to P612.5 million. 

Vice President Duterte defied House rules and camped out at the House of Representatives from Thursday night to Saturday morning in a bid to accompany Lopez, whom she appeared to be very close with. 

The Chua panel subsequently ordered Lopez's transfer to the Women’s Correctional Facility in Mandaluyong City for security reasons.

Duterte had also accompanied her chief-of-staff at the VMMC. 

Lopez, in a letter to the committee, cited her health episode over the weekend as reason for her absence in the hearing.

Castro mentioned Lopez’s evasiveness in her answers to the solons' past queries as reason for her motion. 

"So nakita naman natin sa history ng kaniyang evasive attitude, behaviour, at itong creane-ate niya na sinasabi niya na pagsisinungaling niya...ay kasama na po yan."

(So we saw the history of her evasive attitude, behaviour, and her creation of lies...those were also considered.

 

Related Tags

Sara Duterte FRANCE CASTRO Zuleika Lopez
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