OFFICE of the Vice President (OVP) Undersecretary and Chief of Staff Zuleika Lopez was released on Saturday following 10 days of detention, stemming from a contempt order issued by the House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability, also known as the Blue Ribbon Committee.
Lopez’s release came after she formally pledged to attend all future hearings related to the ongoing investigation into the alleged misuse of ₱612.5 million in confidential funds allocated to the OVP and the Department of Education (DepEd) under Vice President Sara Duterte.
The release order, signed by Blue Ribbon Chair Manila 3rd District Representative Joel Chua and attested to by House Secretary General Reginald Velasco, instructed House Sergeant-at-Arms Napoleon Taas to release Lopez after completing a medical examination.
The document emphasized Lopez’s commitment to cooperate fully with the legislative investigation.
“In view of the undertaking to attend all hearings, you are hereby ordered to immediately release Atty. Zuleika T. Lopez after a medical examination has been conducted on her,” the release order stated.
Lopez was cited for contempt and detained on November 20 for what the committee described as “undue interference” in the legislative process and for providing “evasive” responses during the inquiry.
The allegations stemmed from a letter she sent to the Commission on Audit (COA), urging the constitutional body to disregard a congressional subpoena for audit reports on the OVP’s confidential expenses in 2022 and 2023.
Although initially ordered to serve five days of detention at the House premises, her stay was extended to 10 days after lawmakers accused her of obstructing the investigation through her actions.
The case drew widespread attention when Vice President Duterte intervened on November 22 to prevent Lopez’s transfer to the Correctional Institution for Women in Mandaluyong City. Duterte, who identified herself as Lopez’s legal counsel, reportedly obstructed the transfer order, a move House officials criticized as further “undue interference.”
Lawmakers had decided on the transfer to Mandaluyong City due to alleged security breaches linked to Vice President Duterte’s repeated visits to the House premises during Lopez’s detention.
Before her release, Lopez was brought to the Veterans Memorial Medical Center (VMMC) in Quezon City after collapsing and vomiting while in detention. She remained hospitalized until the release order, which was issued on humanitarian grounds.