VP Sara takes break in guarding Lopez, will go back to VMMC Sunday night

SHE WON’T LEAVE. Vice President Sara Duterte accompanies her chief of staff Zuleika Lopez as they leave St. Luke’s Medical Center in Quezon City on Saturday, in a tense episode involving a standoff that started Friday night between Duterte and the House leaders who earlier ordered Lopez detained. — Photo from NIÑO JESUS ORBETA

MANILA, Philippines — Office of the Vice President (OVP) Undersecretary Zuleika Lopez has agreed to enable Vice President Sara Duterte to leave the Veterans Memorial Medical Center (VMMC), where the former is currently confined.

Duterte said this in a short statement sent to the media on Sunday morning, although she did not mention whether or not she already left the hospital.

“She allowed me to go see my children so as long as Sen. Bong Go will replace me and that I come back in the evening,” the vice president said.

Last Friday, Duterte went to the House detention to visit Lopez, who was cited for contempt by the House committee on good governance and public accountability after it found her reportedly committing undue interference in the panel’s hearings.

The vice president spent the night at the Batasang Pambansa complex to protect her staff.

She eventually stayed in the House of Representatives office of her brother – Davao City Rep. Paolo Duterte – “indefinitely.”

In an online press conference early Saturday morning, Duterte lamented the panel’s order to transfer Lopez to the Correctional Institution for Women.

On Saturday morning, Lopez was rushed to VMMC and then transferred to St. Luke’s Medical Center in Quezon City after experiencing panic attacks.

In a video, Philippine National Police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group chief Police Brig. Gen. Nicolas Torre III was seen serving a new order to transfer Lopez back to VMMC.

Lopez was seen hugging the vice president while crying. She was later transported back to VMMC.

On her Sunday update, Duterte said Lopez “woke up several times in the night, had three dreams of someone smothering her with a pillow.”

The vice president added that her staff has “no appetite,” only ate fruit and took her medicine.

“She demanded lawyers stay outside the room 24 hours a day. Gusto nya, (she wants) daily lawyer meeting,” Duterte said about Lopez.

“Her mother is arriving tomorrow,” she added.