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OVP CHIEF OF STAFF BROUGHT TO HOSPITAL AFTER FALLING ILL

admin November 24, 2024

VICE President Sara Duterte’s chief of staff attorney Zuleika Lopez was brought to the hospital early Saturday morning after falling ill.

Lopez fell ill after a House panel had ordered her transferred to the Women’s Correctional Institution in Mandaluyong City.

Duterte’s chief of staff had initially been detained at the House after being cited in contempt for “undue interference.”

Lopez, in a Zoom meeting past midnight Saturday, said she was caught off guard by the order to transfer her to the Women’s Correctional while preparing for bed.

According to her, a staff from the Legislative Security Bureau (LSB) entered her room at 11:30 p.m., allegedly confiscated her phone, and read her the transfer order.

“I have been trying to cooperate to the very best of my abilities, so I do not understand why they just go to your room, get your phones, and then just tell you that they will move you to Women’s Correctional,” Lopez said.

“I’m not leaving this room. I’m a detainee here in the House of Representatives Detention Facility for five days until the hearing on Monday,” she added.

Lopez said that at 11:50 p.m., the LSB staff read the transfer order again, this time in the presence of Vice President Sara Duterte.

The chief of staff immediately sought Duterte’s help.

Reports said Lopez suffered difficulty in breathing.

An ambulance arrived at the House of Representatives around 1:30 a.m. but was denied entry due to lack of clearance.

At 3:24 a.m., a Philippine National Police ambulance from within the premises transported Lopez to Veterans Memorial Medical Center for assessment.

Lopez was later transferred to St. Luke’s Medical Center after her “next of kin” insisted on the move, according to the Vice President.

Later on, Lopez was brought back to VMMC from St. Luke’s hours after an order was signed by House Secretary-General Reginald Velasco and was carried out by Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group chief Brig Gen. Nicolas Torre III.

In a statement, Velasco said that doctors at the Veterans will “completely examine Lopez and verify her state of health.”