Vice Pres Duterte's aide Lopez hospitalized, misses House hearing due to stress

Office of the Vice President Undersecretary Zuleika Lopez was rushed to St. Luke's Medical Center early Saturday morning after falling ill while being transferred from the House custodial facility to the Women's Correctional Facility.

Vice President Sara Duterte, who visited Lopez at VMMC last Friday and spent the night in her brother's office at the Batasang Pambansa complex, said on Sunday that she is unaware of whether Lopez will attend the House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability's next hearing scheduled for Monday, November 25.

Supporters of Vice President Duterte, including Senator Ronald 'Bato' dela Rosa and Senator Bong Go, have continued to show their support for Lopez amid ongoing investigations and concerns over her safety. On Sunday afternoon, Senator Imee Marcos arrived via helicopter at VMMC to visit Lopez.

Lopez skipped Monday's House panel probe due to an acute stress disorder diagnosis and was cited in contempt by the committee earlier this month after she confirmed signing a letter asking state auditors not to comply with a subpoena from the House Committee on Appropriations concerning submission of audit reports on the confidential fund use of the OVP and DepEd.

Attached to Lopez's letter to the committee was a copy of a November 24 Certificate of Confinement signed by doctors at VMMC indicating her condition, detailing symptoms such as difficulty in sleeping, anxiety, intrusive nightmares, flashbacks, avoidance, shoulder pain with limited range of motion, and back pain.