Triple Threat

What prompted VP Sara Duterte’s indignation was when her Chief of Staff, Atty. Zuleika Lopez was cited for contempt by the House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability last Wednesday, November 20, allegedly for “undue interference.” With a rank of Undersecretary, Ms. Zuleika Lopez was ordered detained for five days at the detention facility of the Batasan Pambansa Complex. Later, this would be extended for another five more days or until November 30.

Contributing uncertainty to the unfolding drama, Vice-President Sara Duterte visited her chief executive officer the next day and slept at the legislative office of her brother Congressman Paulo Duterte with no intention of leaving the company of her long-time associate and town mate.

Arguing breach of protocol, House Sergeant-at-Arms Gen. Napoleon Taas asked VP Sara Duterte to leave the House premises. She didn’t budge. The House head of security then served a “transfer order” on the same night. Usec Lopez was to be transferred to the Correctional Institute for Women in Mandaluyong City, a detention facility for “persons deprived of liberty” (PDL) or convicted felons.

Adding insult to injury, the new detention order was served midnight of Friday, November 22. Many wondered why not wait until the break of dawn?

It was then that Usec Zuleika Lopez had a “panic attack” that instead of being forcibly brought to the Correctional Institute for Women in Mandaluyong City, she was taken to the St. Luke’s Medical Center in Quezon City and later that day to the Veterans Memorial Medical Center.

November 22 was a Friday. It was an uneventful day, a non-working day for all employees and their employers at the House of Representatives. There were no committee meetings, hearings or conferences, the way with which Congress works. The entire building was closed, the air conditioning units and the lights were turned off except for the offices and quarters of the security personnel. So, how could the “transfer order” be properly discussed, voted upon, and legally issued?

Now, everybody turned their attention to what the Vice-President said about those “kill orders.”

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) promptly issued a subpoena to the second highest official of the country. NBI Director Jaime Santiago though was quick to qualify that the inquiry would include as well the “alleged threat” to the vice-president’s life herself.

Not to be outdone, Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, former Supreme Court Justice who was appointed to the high court by former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, said that the “kill order” must be “taken seriously as an active threat.”

National Security Advisor Eduardo Año, declared that the threat to the Marcos family is a “matter of national security.” Secretary Año served as the Secretary of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) during the incumbency of President Rodrigo Duterte.

Senate President Chiz Escudero, weighed in saying the need to “calm down to de-escalate the situation”. He called on the allies of VP Sara Duterte to “advise her to refrain from making these indecorous and possibly criminal statements in public.” He then admonished the vice-president to “seek professional help.” Et tu, Chiz?

At the House of Representatives, the beleaguered vice-president is facing a dozen tormentors, notably the chairpersons of the House Committees conducting “oversight investigations in aid of legislation.”

Of course, she has yet to hurdle the Commission on Audit (COA) on the issue of the P73 million disallowance out of the P125 million in confidential and intelligence funds entrusted to her by the Office of the President in 2022 and 2023 of which she is now being pilloried to account for.

How about an impeachment proceedings, anyone?

Who wants to be vice-president, anyway?

VP Sara must have regretted she didn’t run for President in 2022.

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