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House Secretary-General Reginald Velasco says Vice President Sara Duterte had made a request for her to visit her chief of staff, Zuleika Lopez
MANILA, Philippines – Vice President Sara Duterte spent the night at the House of Representatives to visit her detained chief of staff Zuleika Lopez, House Secretary-General Reginald Velasco confirmed on Friday, November 22.
Velasco said in an interview with DZBB that Duterte’s office had made a request for her to visit Lopez on Thursday night, November 21, which they granted.
Velasco said that since Duterte arrived at around 7:40 pm — beyond the 8 am to 5 pm visiting hours — they decided to let Duterte and Lopez meet at the Visitor’s Center instead of the House detention center.
Duterte’s visit ended at around 10 pm so she decided to spend the night at the House office of her brother, Davao 1st District Representative Paolo Duterte. She was still in the House as of Friday morning, Velasco said.
Asked whether congressman Duterte was at the House during the Vice President’s visit, Velasco said: “Wala po yata. Meron siyang susi. Siya ang nagpunta doon kasama security.” (I don’t think so. She has a key. She went there with her security.)
Velasco said they augmented Duterte’s security detail and alerted the Philippine National Police (PNP) about her House visit as well as her decision to spend the night there.
He added that the PNP precinct at the Batasan and the PNP in Quezon City were also alerted “in case there are disturbances.”
When can Lopez leave Batasan?
Responding to questions, Velasco said that based on the decision of the House committee on good government, Lopez will be detained at the House until Monday, November 25, when the next hearing is scheduled.
“‘Pag sumipot siya doon at sinabi niya ang mga katotohanan, i-li-lift na ang contempt order, puwede na siya umuwi,” Velasco said.
(If she appears at the hearing and she tells the truth, the contempt order will be lifted and she can go home.)
On Wednesday, November 20, the House committee on good government cited Lopez in contempt and ordered her detention due to her “undue interference in proceedings.” The panel is investigating Duterte’s alleged fund misuse at the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education when she was DepEd chief.
House Deputy Minority Leader France Castro of ACT Teachers made the motion, seconded by her colleagues, following Lopez’s letter to the Commission on Audit (COA) blocking the release of the confidential funds report to lawmakers.
The Vice President has been shunning the House hearings on her alleged fund misuse, saying it was a waste of time. Earlier on Thursday, Speaker Martin Romualdez had urged her to appear at the probe, after Duterte said she felt bad about OVP staff getting grilled by lawmakers about her confidential funds use.
Duterte’s last visit to the lower chamber was on November 13, for the House quad committee hearing on her father’s war on drugs and extrajudicial killings, which former president Rodrigo Duterte attended. – Rappler.com
