OVP chief of staff House detention extended

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

MANILA, Philippines — The House committee on good government and public accountability has extended the detention period of the Office of the Vice President’s (OVP) chief of staff Undersecretary Zuleika Lopez to 10 days.

During the panel’s hearing on Monday, ACT Teachers party-list Rep. France Castro moved to extend Lopez’s detention, which was previously set to five days.

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“In view of what happened during the last two days or so, I would like to consider moving for a reconsideration of our resolution in so far as it’s limited the period of detention to only five days. I move Mr. Chair that the period of detention of Atty. Lopez be 10 days instead of five days,” Castro said.

No members objected to her motion, which committee chair Manila 3rd District Rep. Joel Chua approved.

Over the weekend, Vice President Sara Duterte conducted a series of press conferences addressing issues surrounding the detainment of Lopez in the House of Representatives.

Duterte also revealed that she ordered someone to “kill” President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., first lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and House Speaker Martin Romualdez should she be assassinated.

House leaders expressed concern over Duterte’s behavior, with some calling her remarks “reckless, dangerous, and not normal.”

The Vice President also stayed at the House premises on Friday night to accompany Lopez, who is now confined to Veterans Memorial Medical Center.