THE Office of the Vice President highlighted that Senator Marcos helped secure an order from the Department of the Interior and Local Government, allowing Duterte to be with her chief of staff, Zuleika Lopez, at the Veterans Memorial Medical Center (VMMC) in Quezon City.
Senator Marcos also visited Lopez at the hospital during this time.
“The Office of the Vice President is grateful to all those who helped, supported, and expressed solidarity during this crisis,” the OVP stated.
Lopez was hospitalized on November 23 after suffering from vomiting and fainting spells upon learning that a House panel investigating the OVP’s use of confidential funds planned to have her detained at the Women’s Correctional Institution in Mandaluyong City.
That same weekend, Duterte held a heated press conference, where she claimed to have arranged for the assassination of Senator Marcos’ brother, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., if an alleged plot against her succeeded.
In a statement, the Office of the Vice President (OVP) expressed gratitude to Senators Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa and Christopher “Bong” Go for visiting Zuleika Lopez at the Veterans Memorial Medical Center (VMMC).
The OVP also thanked the medical professionals who provided care to Lopez and other OVP staff, as well as the media for their coverage of the situation.
“Many thanks to the doctors and healthcare personnel who worked tirelessly to ensure the well-being of the OVP staff who needed medical assistance,” the statement said.
The office also thanked the media for their continued reporting on the state of the nation, their vigilance against injustice and violence, and their fearless commitment to press freedom.
“Thank you also to the media for their ongoing coverage of the nation’s situation — for monitoring injustices, violence, and reporting on the plight of OVP personnel, and for upholding the values of free expression,” the OVP added.
Tensions arose during Lopez’s transfer to the VMMC when a police doctor filed a complaint against Duterte, her security chief, and others over the incident.
The complaint accused Duterte, Army Col. Raymund Dante Lachica (head of her security detail), and others of assault, disobedience, and coercion.
Duterte later stated that she planned to file criminal complaints against the police officers involved. The OVP’s statement was issued a day after a second impeachment complaint was filed against Duterte.
These complaints contribute to the mounting legal challenges faced by the Vice President, who is also under investigation for allegedly threatening to assassinate President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and Speaker Martin Romualdez.