LAWYER Zuleika Lopez, the chief of staff of the Office of the Vice President (OVP), was transported back to the Veterans Memorial Medical Center from St. Luke’s on the orders of the House of Representatives.
During the transfer, Brigadier General Nicolas Torre III of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, read the order in the presence of Vice President Sara Duterte and Senator Bato dela Rosa.
Lopez was brought to St. Luke’s Hospital after an anxiety attack on the morning of Nov. 23, 2024. Lopez was detained at the Batasang Pambansa detention facility after being cited for contempt during a hearing regarding the confidential fund.
Lopez was cited for contempt by the House of Representatives and subsequently filed a motion for reconsideration (MR). However, the HOR panel, headed by Manila Rep. Joel Chua, ignored her plea.
Meanwhile, the vice president requested permission to accompany Lopez during her detention, but her request was denied by House Sergeant-at-Arms Marcelino Chua, who cited OSAA guidelines, setting the stage for the events that followed.
The transfer order
On the midnight of Nov. 23, a group of nine individuals, including police officers, attempted to forcibly transfer Lopez to the Women’s Correctional Facility.
In an interview on Saturday morning, Nov. 23, Duterte revealed that phones were confiscated, including those of Lopez’s staff, limiting their ability to communicate.
The vice president threatened to file a robbery case if the phones were not returned. Shortly thereafter, they recovered their mobile phones.
Additionally, Lopez’s requests for legal counsel were denied, further infringing on her rights.
Amid the stressful situation, the former Davao City administrator suffered severe health issues, including a panic attack and fainting spells. Despite her deteriorating health, the HOR delayed providing medical assistance by blocking the waiting ambulance at the gate, putting her life at risk.
The incident has sparked widespread public outrage and condemnation. Many have criticized the actions of the House of Representatives, accusing them of political persecution and abuse of power.
PDP Laban statement
Meanwhile, the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino (PDP) strongly condemned the HOR order to Lopez to the Women’s Correctional in Mandaluyong City as it violated her rights.
It was nearly midnight on Friday when Lopez was ordered transferred from the detention facility at the Batasang Pambansa in Quezon City to the Women’s Correctional, as ordered by the HOR committee on good government.
Official videos from the House showed that Lopez refused the transfer but she had no choice but to comply.
Duterte accompanied Lopez during the transfer, with video footage from the House showing her in distress. Lopez had to be wheeled into the waiting police van.
The PDP Laban said the Women’s Correctional is a facility dedicated to holding female PDLs convicted of criminal and civil cases or those with pending court cases.
“For the record, she is not even an accused in a court of law: she is merely a resource person in a House inquiry.
“By ordering the transfer of Usec. Lopez to the Women’s Correctional, the House of Representatives has abused its authority and has acted as the prosecutor, judge and executioner in the situation at hand, which is patently illegal and is an affront to her rights under the Constitution.”
“The PDP sees the move by the House of Representatives as pure and simple harassment and intimidation against the Vice President herself who has decided to stand by Usec Lopez during the entire length of her detention. Moreover, the transfer of Usec Lopez to the Women’s Correctional is also clearly a violation of her human rights, since that faculty is reserved for convicted offenders or those facing criminal charges.
“We, therefore, warn the Filipino people of the temerity of the current administration to violate basic human rights based on spurious grounds, and the House leadership for violating the rule of law and due process and for abusing its powers to destroy their political enemies.”
Photo courtesy of OVP
