Sara chief-of-staff returned to VMMC
VICE President Sara Duterte-Carpio’s chief of staff Attorney Zuleika Lopez was transferred by the police to the Veterans Memorial Medical Center in Quezon City from St. Luke’s Medical Center yesterday afternoon as their group dramatically opposed an order by the House of Representatives that the latter be transferred to the Correctional Institute for Women in Mandaluyong City.
Philippine National Police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group director Brigadier General Nicolas D. Torre III led the transport of Lopez to the VMMC in compliance to a House directive to their Sergeant-at-Arms retired Major Gen. Napoleon Taas.
Prior to that, different videos showed Lopez questioning the presence of officials sent to her holding room to read her the House of Representarives order saying she needs to have her lawyer first.
She asked the officials to leave her room.
Later, VP Duterte was seen in the video telling the group she would be acting as the legal counsel of Lopez, asked for a copy of the order and closed the window before an officer could read the directive.
During her transfer to the VMMC, Lopez was seen crying as she embraced the Vice President while being served her transfer order by Brig. Gen. Torre.
Prior to that, she was already brought to the VMMC early Saturday morning after complaining of illness while about to be transferred to the CIW.
She claimed there is a “threat” to her life as she aired her concern about the decision to remove her from the House detention facility in the middle of the night.
She was later transferred to the St. Lukes hospital, a move which prompted the House to order her return to the VMMC.
Lopez had been cited in contempt for her “undue interference” in the ongoing investigation on the disbursement of confidential funds by the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education under Duterte-Carpio and was ordered detained at the airconditioned House holding facility.
