House declines VP Sara’s request to stay with detained Chief of Staff
DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 22 November) — The House of Representatives declined Vice President Sara Duterte’s request to stay with her chief of staff, undersecretary Atty. Zuleika Lopez, who has been detained since Wednesday at the lower chamber’s detention facility after she was cited in contempt.
In a press conference on Friday, Manila 3rd District Rep. Joel Chua, chair of the Committee on Good Governance and Accountability, said Duterte’s request was rejected because she was not the subject of the contempt order.
Duterte wrote Chua a letter last November 21, asking him to allow her to stay with Lopez for the whole duration of her detention “for humanitarian reasons” due to the health condition of her chief of staff.
VP Duterte said Lopez had requested to join her inside the detention facility so that she may have peace of mind and get adequate rest. Other reasons that the Vice President cited were that Lopez has persistent and chronic back problem that often further results in migraine, is nauseous and lighthearted, has little sleep amid fears for her security and safety, is not used to being alone and worried that other detainees may cause her harm, and is experiencing fatigue due to jet lag and sadness about the condition of her ailing aunt in the US.
When her request was denied, Duterte wrote Chua another letter informing him that she intends to visit Lopez daily “for the full period of her detention, within the bounds of the guidelines pertaining to persons under the custody of the Office of the Sergeant-At-Arms (OSAA).”
Chua said the Vice President’s brother, Davao City’s 1st District representative Paolo “Pulong” Duterte, also wrote him a letter requesting that Lopez be transferred to his office at the House of Representatives.
Chua said the congressman’s request was similarly denied because it would set a “bad precedent” for future proceedings in which other detainees with connections to any House member could stay in their office.
He added that they don’t want to give Lopez a “special treatment” just because she is connected with the Dutertes.
The Vice President visited her chief of staff at 7:45 p.m. until 10 p.m. on Thursday which was past the visiting hours.
MGen. Napoleon C. Taas, sergeant-at-arms of the House of Representatives, said visiting hours typically start from 8 am. to 11 a.m. and 1 to 5 p.m. on normal days but they may extend to 7:00 p.m. on session days.
The hearing last Wednesday was the first time Lopez appeared before the Committee, which is investigating, in aid of legislation, the alleged misuse of public funds of the Office of the Vice President and Department of Education where she served as secretary until her resignation on June 19, 2024.
After meeting Lopez at the Visitors’ Center, Duterte proceeded to the office of Rep. Duterte where she and her security stayed until Friday morning.
“We were all assuming that she would turn right, exiting the House of Representatives. However, her convoy went straight ahead, heading towards the South Wing Annex, and we talked over the phone with the security and we were informed that the Vice President will just change using the room of the Hon. Pulong Duterte, and so we waited until 1 hour at about 11 p.m.” he said.
However, Taas said Duterte and her close-in team locked themselves inside the office of Rep. Duterte.
He said he personally appealed to the protocol and security of the Vice President to leave because it was already past visiting hours, and the electricity of the buildings within the premises of the House Representatives had to be turned off as part of the policy to save on power cost.
At 10:53 a.m. on Friday, Duterte and her entourage left the office of Rep. Duterte and returned to the detention facility.
Chua added that allowing Duterte to stay within the premises of the House would be a “security risk” and that the lower chamber does not have enough security personnel to ensure her safety.
“Dapat pa bang sabihin na sumunod sa batas ang ating pangalawang pangulo? Ang ating pangalawang pangulo ay isang abogada. Sya po ay pangalawa sa pinakamataas na official ng ating bansa (Should it even be necessary to say that the Vice President must follow the law? Our Vice President is a lawyer. She is the second highest official of our country,” he said.
Chua hopes the Vice President will reciprocate the respect that the House has accorded her.
Aside from Lopez, the House Committee also cited four OVP and DepEd officials in contempt and ordered their detention for skipping five hearings on the alleged fund misuse.
These are Lemuel Ortonio, OVP assistant secretary / assistant chief of staff; Gina Acosta, OVP special disbursing officer; Atty. Sunshine Charry A. Fajard, former DepEd assistant secretary; and Edward Fajarda, former DepEd special disbursing officer. (Antonio L. Colina IV / MindaNews with a report from Ian Carl Espinosa)
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