When she appeared before the House of Representatives on Wednesday, November 20, Zuleika Lopez, chief of staff of Vice President Sara Duterte, remained calm and composed. This was in stark contrast to Duterte’s own demeanor during her appearances before the chamber, which is investigating her over alleged misuse of funds.
At the start of the probe, Lopez even thanked the House good governance committee for the lawmakers’ supposed “grant of understanding” regarding her absence at the previous hearings, although her appearance was prompted by a subpoena.
“I do want to extend my appreciation, and my entire family really is actually very appreciative of this act of kindness that was extended to me during that difficult time,” Lopez said.
The House panel had issued a subpoena against Lopez after learning that she had flown to the United States a day before the November 5 hearing that she was invited to attend. Lopez explained that her trip was not an attempt to evade the hearing, but rather to care for her aunt, who was ill.
However, Lopez’s appearance before the House panel did little to clarify the issues and controversies surrounding the Vice President’s alleged misuse of funds. Lawmakers were baffled by Lopez’s apparent lack of knowledge about the operations of the OVP, despite being its highest-ranking official.
Lopez was unable, or unwilling, to disclose the whereabouts of OVP special disbursement officers Edward Fajarda and Gina Acosta, both of whom had been subpoenaed for failing to appear. House lawmakers grilled the OVP officials present, including Lopez, arguing that since their office had issued travel orders for both, they should know their whereabouts.
The roles that Fajarda and Acosta played were a key focus of the House probe because the two were responsible for the disbursement of the P125 million in confidential funds in 2022. Abang Lingkod party-list Representative Joseph Stephen Paduano said it appeared that the OVP was attempting to conceal the whereabouts of the said personnel.
Lopez’s evasive answers on how the funds were used angered lawmakers, who argued that it was impossible for her not to know anything when she was the chief of staff. Deputy Speaker Jay-Jay Suarez of Quezon’s second district didn’t buy Lopez’s claim of having no knowledge about how the funds were used, pointing out that it was she herself who had written the Commission on Audit (COA) to block the release of the confidential funds report to lawmakers.
Her vague answers, along with her letter to COA, led the House panel to cite her for contempt and order her detention in the House facility until Monday, November 25.
Sara-Zuleika ties
Lopez, fondly called Lyka or Zu by friends, was Sara’s city administrator from 2010 to 2013, when she was the mayor of Davao City. She returned to Davao City hall in 2016, when Sara was reelected mayor while her father, Rodrigo, was elected president of the country.
Lopez’s appointment as Sara’s city administrator was messy. In 2010, Rodrigo, who was then the vice mayor, led a city council grilling of his daughter’s appointee, questioning Lopez’s qualifications for the role. Sara defended Lopez, threatening that her office would withhold cooperation in any city council project. A 2010 SunStar article quoted Sara as telling the council to “learn to respect” her office.
Lopez appeared to be the driving force behind Sara’s leadership in Davao City. In previous interviews, Lopez revealed that she had been leading city hall meetings, ensuring the successful implementation of various projects, particularly Sara’s 10-point agenda.
“I want them to give me a heads-up on pressing concerns, current projects, and issues so we can address them immediately,” Lopez was quoted as saying in a 2016 SunStar article about what she told City Hall department heads back then.
City administrators are often referred to as “little mayors” because they are expected to be familiar with the inner workings of the local government. This is why House lawmakers were puzzled when Lopez claimed she was unaware of Sara’s confidential expenses during her time as mayor. These ballooned from P144 million in 2016 to P460 million in 2022. (READ: P460M a year: Under Sara Duterte, Davao’s confidential funds soared)
Before becoming Davao City’s administrator, Lopez was one of the first employees of the University of the Philippines in Mindanao, where she worked as an information officer in 1995. She earned her law degree from the University of the Philippines and later served as a graft investigator at the Office of the Ombudsman in Mindanao until 2007. Lopez and Sara’s husband, Mans Carpio, were classmates in law school.
In 2007, Lopez served as the city council’s secretary when Sara was vice mayor of Davao City. She is no stranger to politics, having come from a prominent political family in Davao, long before the rise of the Dutertes. Her uncle, Elias Lopez, was a well-respected former mayor of Davao, celebrated for his leadership prior to the Duterte era.
Sara brought Zuleika along with her to the national political stage, where she played a key role in the vice presidential transition in 2022. During Sara’s appearances in Congress, especially in budget hearings, Lopez was always present to respond to questions regarding the OVP programs. This was before the controversy over confidential funds, a time when the Vice President was still attending budget briefings.(READ: Why Sara Duterte should show up in budget briefings)
‘Calm, collected’
A source who worked with Lopez described her as “calm and collected,” recalling their time together at the Philippine Deposit Insurance Corporation (PDIC). Lopez had served as the head of the Institutional Relations Department in 2016 before becoming Sara’s city administrator for a second term.
“The way I knew her, she is calm and collected,” the source said, noting that it was no surprise that Lopez stayed composed during the grilling by House lawmakers.
The source who requested anonymity also shared that in 2016, Lopez had been enjoying her work at the PDIC until she received a call from Senator Bong Go, who was then a close aide of former president Duterte. Go supposedly asked Lopez to return to Davao and help Sara in running the city. This request was particularly surprising because, initially, the Duterte patriarch had not been fond of Lopez.
“Mans Carpio called her to accept her old job as Sara’s city admin. She politely declined. Sara called her. Same reaction. But after Bong Go called her, she had no choice. She was crying in her cubicle when I approached her. Si Duterte na daw may utos eh sabi ni Bong Go. Wala na siyang choice (It was already Duterte who gave the order, according to Bong Go. She had no choice),” the source said, recalling a supposed incident in their office at PDIC.
In a 2018 feature in The Public Manager, the official publication of the Career Executive Service, Lopez said that her strategy for staying composed was maintaining a work-life balance. “It took me a while to achieve balance between work and my personal life. It all boils down to prioritizing what matters most,” she said.
Lopez also revealed a soft spot for Asian novelas and action-packed films, which she would binge-watch after a day’s work. She was also a disc jockey on 95.5 Hit Radio while serving as Davao City administrator.
When asked what kept her grounded, Lopez attributed it to humility, prayer, and gratitude. “Never underestimate the power of prayer and gratitude. At the end of the day, when you reflect on everything that transpired, just be grateful for it all and thank God for the day’s work. You can’t control everything, but knowing you did your best will give you a good night’s sleep,” the 2018 Public Manager quoted her as saying.
When the House ordered Lopez’s detention late Wednesday night, the OVP did not release any statement regarding her situation, explaining that it was her personal request.
The Vice President had previously said that she would join her staff if the House panel decides to detain them. The question now is: will she stay true to her word? Will the public see the Vice President stand by her detained chief of staff in the House? – Rappler.com
