OVP: House panel ordered Zuleika Lopez's transfer to women's correctional

The House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability has ordered the transfer of Office of the Vice President chief of staff Atty. Zuleika Lopez from the House detention facility to the Women's Correctional Institute in Mandaluyong City, the OVP has said.

The OVP shared with the media a copy of the order that appeared to be addressed to House Sergeant-at-Arms Napoleon Taas and signed by committee chairman Manila Rep. Joel Chua.

According to Bea Pinlac of GMA Integrated News, House officials read the transfer order twice: once in front of Lopez and again after Vice President Sara Duterte had entered the detention room.

WATCH: House officials read the order to transfer OVP chief of staff Atty. Zuleika Lopez from the House custodial facility to the Women’s Correctional Facility in Mandaluyong. @gmanews @dzbb

???? House of Representatives pic.twitter.com/i8DICrq0UM

— Beatrice (@beatricepinlac) November 22, 2024

Pinlac also reported that Taas told Chua in a letter that the ''continued presence'' of Duterte within the House complex ''has disrupted the normal operations of the 19th Congress to the point of putting in jeopardy the safety of House members and the security of our facilities.''

In a press conference via Zoom, an emotional Lopez said that she was being brought to the women's prison in the middle of the night.

Lopez said that about nine people, including policemen, showed up in her room to serve the transfer order, but she refused to comply.

''I said, 'I'm not going anywhere. I need my lawyers now.' And then [they] said, 'there is no need for a lawyer because we are just doing our job to serve it,''' she said.

''I have my rights as a detainee in this facility. Respect that and then I told them to go out.''

''And then, I called the Vice President and after awhile she came,'' Lopez said, adding that she tapped  Duterte as her counsel.

Lopez also asked why the committee had issued a transfer order before taking any action on her motion for reconsideration.

"On a Friday, when there is no office business at the House of Representatives, they issued an order transferring me and suddenly they served it in the middle of the night. What does that tell you?'' she said.

''They bring nine, 10 people to serve [the transfer order] in the middle of the night in your pajamas. This is a threat to my life. It's not harassment,'' she added.

''Wala nang batas sa bansang ito [There is no rule of law in this country].''

Duterte echoed Lopez's concern.

''They make rules as they go along? Whatever pleases the Speaker?" she said.

Duterte also threw expletives at President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos, Speaker Martin Romualdez, and Chua as she lamented the alleged campaign to discredit her name.

''This country is going to hell because we are led by a person who doesn't know how to be a president and who is a liar,'' the Vice President said.

"P__ina ninyong lahat. Martin Romualdez, Liza Marcos, Bongbong Marcos,'' she said.

After the press conference, Lopez was brought to the Veterans Memorial Medical Center in Quezon City early Saturday morning after falling ill.

She was accompanied by Duterte, according to GMA Integrated News' Jhomer Apresto.

"Nagsuka siya nang nagsuka tapos nag collapse,'' Duterte said in an interview.

(After vomiting repeatedly, she collapsed.)

Lopez was later transferred to St. Luke's Medical Center also in Quezon City.

Lopez was ordered detained at the lower chamber after she was cited in contempt for her supposed "undue interference."

The detention is until Nov. 25, the date of the committee's next hearing on the disbursement of confidential funds by the OVP and the Department of Education under Duterte.

Lopez had confirmed to the committee investigating the disbursement of confidential funds by the OVP and the DepEd that it was she who signed the letter to the Commission on Audit, asking the latter not to comply with House subpoena on audit reports on the fund releases.

''I am not a criminal. I am already here in their facility. I have assured them already that I will attend their hearing on Monday, so why will they treat me like that?" she said.

Earlier, Duterte said she is looking to stay "until after the New Year's" at the House of Representatives after Lopez was cited in contempt and ordered detained.

In a news conference via Zoom, Duterte said she told Taas when they discussed her security that only Romualdez wanted her dead, and that he would not do it inside the House complex.

Duterte is staying at the office of her brother Davao City Rep. Paolo Duterte after she visited Lopez at the House detention facility.

She asked that she be allowed to stay with Lopez but the committee didn't allow it. —NB, GMA Integrated News