OVP Chief-of-Staff Zuleika Lopez Rushed To Hospital, VP Sara Duterte Spotted w/ her

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Following House Mandate for Transfer, OVP Chief-of-Staff Atty. Zuleika Lopez Falls Ill

OVP Chief-of-Staff Attorney Zuleika Lopez was accompanied by Vice Pres. Sara Duterte when she was rushed to the hospital early today.

The House panel that handles the probe on the use of the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education’s Confidential Funds cited Atty. Zuleika Lopez for contempt during the latest hearing. She was ordered to be detained at the House until November 25, 2024.

OVP Chief of Staff Zuleika Lopez

Lopez appeared at the House hearing last November 20. She denied having a role on the disbursement of the Confidential Funds. Several other officials of Vice Pres. Duterte also made the same claim during the hearing. House Speaker Martin Romualdez stressed that the Vice President must be the one who should attend and explain where the funds were used.

Sara Duterte

Vice Pres. Sara Duterte visited detained OVP chief-of-staff Atty. Zuleika Lopez at the House of Representatives. She arrived at around 7:40 p.m. on Thursday and they talked until 10:00 p.m. After her visit, she went to the office of Davao City First District Representative Pulong Duterte and stayed there.

Sara Duterte
Photo from Inquirer

The Vice President requested the House panel if she could accompany Lopez during detention but it was declined by the committee. According to the Vice President, Lopez has health issues and she wants to accompany her so she can sleep and have peace of mind.

Davao City First District Rep. Pulong Duterte also requested for the OVP Chief-of-Staff to be detained at his congressional office but the House panel also declined it. Thus, Vice Pres. Sara Duterte accepted the offer of her brother for her to stay at his office so it would be more convenient for her to visit Atty. Zuleika Lopez.

Recently, it was confirmed that OVP Chief-of-Staff Atty. Zuleika Lopez was rushed to the hospital. She fell ill amid the House mandating her transfer to the Women’s Correctional Facility as per a report on GMA News. She was taken by an ambulance to the Veterans Memorial Medical Center in Quezon City.

Vice Pres. Sara Duterte accompanied Atty. Lopez inside the ambulance. The OVP Chief-of-Staff was lying on a stretcher which was carried out from the Batasang Pambansa building. The Vice President could be seen taking a video and she boarded the ambulance as well.

Based on the report, Vice Pres. Duterte said that Atty. Lopez vomited and collapsed. She was later on transferred to St. Luke’s Medical Center.

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