THE House of Representatives Blue Ribbon Committee, along with Manila 3rd District Rep. Joel Chua and House Sergeant-at-Arms Napoleon Taas, have issued a scathing rebuke of Vice President Sara Duterte’s actions, labeling them as “alarming acts of defiance” and a “blatant disregard for institutional authority.”
The condemnation follows an incident on Friday night where the Vice President reportedly disrupted the House’s operations and blocked the lawful transfer of Undersecretary Zuleika Lopez, the Chief of Staff of the Office of the Vice President, to the Women’s Correctional Facility in Mandaluyong City.
According to Taas, the House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability, chaired by Chua, had decided to transfer Lopez to the facility following established rules and due process. However, the Vice President intervened, claiming to be Lopez’s legal counsel and physically preventing the service of the transfer order.
“The Vice President’s intervention derailed the House’s protocols and demonstrated blatant disregard for institutional authority and due process,” Taas stated.
Chua further pointed out that Duterte’s actions included assuming the role of legal counsel for Lopez, issuing direct orders to House personnel, and disregarding protocols governing House operations. He emphasized that under the law, a sitting Vice President is not allowed to practice their profession.
The decision to transfer Lopez stemmed from concerns raised by two letters received by the committee, one from Congressman Pulong Duterte informing the panel that he was allowing the Vice President to stay in his office, and another from the Vice President herself requesting permission to jog within the House premises.
These letters, coupled with social media posts about the issue, prompted a special Zoom meeting to address security concerns. The committee members discussed the risks posed by Lopez’s continued presence in the House and ultimately agreed to transfer her to a facility with better security capabilities.
Taas detailed the escalation of the situation, stating that the Vice President physically prevented the transfer of Lopez and overstayed her visit to the House detention facility, ignoring repeated directives to leave. She then locked herself inside the office of Davao City Rep. Paolo Duterte, prompting a lockdown of the entire House premises.
Taas also criticized Duterte for compromising security protocols by bringing an excessive and unauthorized armed presence into the complex.
“These alarming acts of defiance by Vice President Duterte severely undermined the authority of the House and disrupted its operations,” he said.
TINGOG Party-list Rep. Jude Acidre echoed these concerns, calling the Vice President’s continued presence at the House “a blatant act of hypocrisy” in light of her refusal to address pressing issues of public accountability.
Acidre highlighted the Vice President’s repeated denial of invitations from the House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability to explain the disbursement and use of confidential funds. He characterized her visit to the House as “political theatrics.”
“The Vice President’s presence, when unaccompanied by accountability, is an affront to the principles of transparency and good governance. The best way forward is for the Vice President to abandon these unnecessary theatrics and adhere to the rule of law,” he said.
“It is high time for Vice President Duterte to prioritize public accountability over political spectacle and respect the constitutional principles she swore to uphold.”
This incident has sparked widespread debate and raised questions about the Vice President’s actions and their implications for the separation of powers and the rule of law. The House of Representatives is expected to continue its investigation into the matter and determine appropriate measures to address the situation.
