OCCUPY HOUSE. Vice President Sara Duterte occupied the office of her brother, Davao City Rep. Paolo Duterte, after she was disallowed from staying with her chief of staff Zuleika Lopez (left photo) in the detention facility of the House of Representatives. — GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE/NIÑO JESUS ORBETA
MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Sara Duterte on Sunday claimed that police officials are “dishonest and scheming” after her chief of staff, Zuleika Lopez, faced delays in being transferred to St. Luke’s Medical Center in Quezon City due to police interference.
Before the hospital transfer, Lopez was detained in a custodial room at the House of Representatives after being cited for contempt during a hearing on the alleged misuse of the Office of the Vice President’s (OVP) confidential funds.
She was then ordered transferred to the Correctional Institution for Women in Mandaluyong City. However, Duterte declared she would act as Lopez’s legal counsel and opposed her transfer to the prison.
READ: Sara Duterte’s chief of staff falls ill, rushed to hospital
In an ambush interview on Sunday, Duterte claimed that the police failed to assist both inside the House detention center and during Lopez’s transfer to the hospital, following the latter’s panic attack.
“I don’t understand, I just thought about it earlier when things were getting chaotic in the ambulance, we were repeatedly asking for help inside the detention center. No one was helping us,” she said in Filipino.
According to the Vice President, Lopez’s doctor agreed when she inquired about using a private vehicle for her transfer, adding that she would assist if an ambulance was unavailable.
However, when the private vehiclearrived, a police ambulance unexpectedly showed up, Duterte said.
“This means they were just nearby, inside the House of Representatives. They did nothing,” she added in Filipino.
Duterte also pointed out that the police initially disregarded the request of Lopez’s kin and doctor to transfer her to St. Luke’s Medical Center; instead, they brought her to the Veterans Memorial Medical Center.
“The next of kin and the doctor said, ‘Take her to St. Luke’s Quezon City because she’s always admitted here for all her problems, and her medical records are here.’ Then suddenly, we were all shocked when we ended up at Veterans. Why? Aren’t those two hospitals the same?” the Vice President asked.
“Then earlier, they still refused to help. We looked for an ambulance, but there was none. So I said, ‘Let’s just pay for an ambulance and talk to St. Luke’s to see what can be done.’ When the St. Luke’s ambulance arrived, suddenly, a police ambulance showed up,” she added.
Duterte then claimed that police officers are “dishonest” by supposedly misleading everyone by saying that Lopez would be transported to St. Luke’s Medical Center.
“The police are so dishonest and scheming, doing that to a patient,” she said in Filipino.
“It’s truly exasperating. Even the police, you can’t rely on them to help,” she added.
Duterte also criticized the police for allegedly interfering in medical decisions on Lopez’s care.
“They’re the ones deciding what should be done with the patient. I said, ‘The doctor is the one who should decide what to do with the patient.’ Because the patient can’t move. She’s hysterical. She’s in pain. She is nauseous,” she said.
The Vice President likewise slammed police officials for deploying “too many” personnel to monitor one individual, calling it a “waste of manpower” considering that Lopez was only cited for contempt by the House.
“Look around. What kind of police are these? SWAT? Look at how many SWAT officers are there. Is Lopez a gangster? A drug lord? She’s just the chief of staff of the Office of the Vice President who, for the record, did not abscond, and is not a fugitive. She attended the hearing and voluntarily submitted to detention to cooperate,” Duterte pointed out.
“The police are so dishonest. She (Lopez’s doctor) was so frustrated because she had her patient in mind. And yet, somehow, whoever is giving these orders, they don’t care if you die,” the Vice President added.
READ: House on VP Duterte’s chief of staff detainment: Guided by protocols