Sara Duterte’s chief of staff falls ill, rushed to hospital

Office of the Vice President (OVP) Undersecretary and Vice President Sara Duterte’s chief of staff, Atty. Zuleika Lopez. INQUIRER / GRIG MONTEGRANDE

MANILA, Philippines — The chief of staff of Vice President Sara Duterte fell ill and was rushed to the hospital on Saturday morning.

Undersecretary Zuleika Lopez was first brought to the Veterans Memorial Medical Center and then transferred to St. Luke’s Medical Center in Quezon City over health issues while detained in a custodial room of the House of Representatives after being cited for contempt during a public hearing.

Before this, Lopez was ordered transferred to the Correctional Institution for Women in Mandaluyong City. But Duterte, who said she would stand as a lawyer of her chief of staff, blocked Lopez’s transfer to the women’s prison facility.

House Sergeant-at-Arms Napoleon Taas confirmed that Lopez was rushed to the hospital. He said that the results of the initial tests done on Lopez indicated that everything was normal and “panic attack is the observation.”

“Doon sa Veterans, ang result is normal ang lahat ng vital signs, even her ECG. Kaya nagtataka kami kung bakit kinakailangan pang ilipat at ipacheck pa sa St. Luke’s. Perhaps, second opinion, just for added peace of mind,“ Taas said in a press conference Saturday.

(At Veterans, the result is all vital signs are normal, even her ECG. That’s why we’re wondering why the need for her to be transferred and checked at St. Luke’s. Perhaps, second opinion, just for added peace of mind.)

READ: House orders transfer of VP Duterte’s aide to women’s prison

“From the reports that we got, panic attack is the observation,” he added.

Duterte accompanied Lopez at St. Luke’s. Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa also showed up at St. Luke’s hospital.

In a message on Saturday, dela Rosa’s office told reporters: “He was in Baguio last night for several events and was supposed to attend another activity today in another province.”

“But around 3 a.m., he traveled back to Manila when he learned about what was happening inside the HOR (House of Representatives) detention,” his office added.

In a memorandum Saturday afternoon, House Secretary-General Reginald Velasco said Lopez was examined and cleared by physicians at the St. Luke’s Medical Center.

Velasco later confirmed to the press that Lopez was brought back to Veteran’s saying: “As of 1:15 p.m., Atty. Zuleika Lopez is now at a government medical facility, the Veterans Memorial Medical Center, where doctors can completely examine her and verify her state of health.”

Lopez was held in contempt by the House committee on good governance and public accountability, which has been probing into alleged misuse of public funds with the Office of the Vice President (OVP) under Duterte.

Following Lopez’s detention at the lower chamber, Vice President Duterte went to the House to visit her, but ended up spending the night at the Batasang Pambansa Complex as she vowed to protect her staff. Later, Duterte declared that she would be staying in the office of her brother, Davao City Rep. Paolo Duterte, “indefinitely.”

Nearly 1 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 23, Duterte and Lopez had a press conference via Zoom, where both cried foul over the order to transfer the OVP chief of staff to the Correctional Institution for Women.

During the press conference, Duterte likewise revealed that she had already talked to a person whom she instructed to kill President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., his wife Liza, and cousin Speaker Martin Romualdez if she is killed.

“May kinausap na ako na tao. Sinabi ko sa kanya, ‘Kapag pinatay ako, patayin mo si BBM, si Liza Araneta, at si Martin Romualdez.’ No joke, no joke. Nagbilin na ako,” said the vice president, who ran in tandem with Marcos in the 2022 elections under the “UniTeam” alliance.

(I already talked to a person. I told the person, ‘If they kill me, kill Bongbong Marcos, Liza Araneta, and Martin Romualdez.’ No joke, no joke. I’ve left instructions.)

READ: Sara Duterte’s remark vs Bongbong Marcos is ‘active threat’ – Palace

On Saturday morning, Malacañang said Duterte’s statements is an “active threat” and that Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin has referred the matter to the Presidential Security Command “for immediate proper action.”

“Acting on the Vice President’s clear and unequivocal statement that she had contracted an assassin to kill the President if an alleged plot against her succeeds, the Executive Secretary has referred this active threat to the Presidential Security Command for immediate proper action,” the Palace said.

“Any threat to the life of the President must always be taken seriously, more so that this threat has been publicly revealed in clear and certain terms,” it added.