Vice President Sara Duterte graces the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry's 50th Philippine Business Conference and Expo in Pasay City on October 22, 2024. Vice President Duterte has faced various reactions following her statements about President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and his family during an October 18 press briefing.

MANILA (UPDATED) — Vice President Sara Duterte's visit to her chief of staff, who has been detained at the House of Representatives after she was cited in contempt by a House panel over “undue interference” in its proceedings, has sparked new tension between her and the chamber, which called her stay there a breach of security.

In a statement, the House majority bloc said that Duterte had visited the House on Thursday night and given special permission to visit lawyer Zuleika Lopez, her chief of staff and who is in House custody.

RELATED: House cites OVP chief of staff in contempt for undue interference in proceedings

"Pero pagkatapos ng oras ng pagbisita na natapos nang 10 ng gabi, hindi siya umalis. Sa halip, nagtuloy siya sa opisina ng kanyang kapatid na si Rep. Paolo Duterte at nagkulong doon," they said.

(But after her visit, which ended at 10 p.m., [Duterte] did not leave. Instead, she went to the office of her brother, Davao City Rep. Paolo Duterte and locked herself inside)

They said the House sergeant-at-arms had repeatedly asked Vice President Duterte to leave the Batasan Pambansa complex but that these requests were ignored. They said they had to implement a lockdown for security.

"Gusto naming ipaalala sa lahat, lalo na sa mga opisyal ng gobyerno, na may mga patakaran at protokol kaming sinusunod sa Malaking Kapulungan para tiyakin ang seguridad at kaayusan (We want to remind everyone, especially government officials, that we have rules and protocols for security and order)," they said. 

They said the House would amend its rules and ensure equal application of them to prevent a repeat of the incident, which they said disrespected the House as an institution.

The statement, attributed to Senior Deputy Speaker Aurelio Gonzales of Pampanga, Deputy Speaker David Suarez of Quezon and Majority Leader Manuel Jose Dalipe of Zamboanga City.

Duterte was again seen before noon on Friday entering the building where Lopez is being detained.

DUTERTE'S VISIT ON THURSDAY NIGHT

House Secretary General Reginald Velasco told media in a phone interview that Vice President Duterte had gone to Rep. Duterte's office and that she had been staying there "until now." 

“May intention siya to visit [Velasco] regularly, so baka ito na ‘yung manifestation of that interest,” Velasco added.

(She has an intention to visit Velasco regularly, maybe this is a manifestation of that)

Regular visiting hours at the House of Representatives are from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., but Velasco said Duterte was allowed to visit outside these hours in consideration of her schedule.

“We have to be sensitive sa schedule niya, kaya in-allow natin to be able to visit after the normal visiting hours (We have to be sensitive to her schedule, that's why we allowed the visit),” he said, pointing out that the House has in the past allowed visitors beyond regular hours..

The House coordinated with the Quezon City Police District for them to be on standby should additional security personnel be needed.

“We alerted the PNP Quezon City and Batasan just to be ready in case there will be some disturbances outside of the premises of the House of Representatives,” Velasco said.

Duterte previously expressed sympathy for her subordinates, who were grilled by congressmen investigating the P612.5-million confidential expenses of the Office of Vice President and the Department of Education in 2022 and 2023.

'No comment': Sara Duterte says she has not yet seen OVP receipts for 'Mary Grace Piattos'

She said the OVP staff and officials are not politicians and should not have to deal with political differences.

VP URGED to ATTEND HEARINGS

House Speaker Martin Romualdez urged the Vice President on Thursday to personally attend the ongoing House investigation into the alleged misuse of her offices’ confidential funds.

The House leader added that Duterte should not pass the responsibility of explaining the funds in question to her subordinates.

“Eh ‘di dapat lang siyang sumipot at mag-oath at mag-salita… Siya lang yata may alam kung anong nangyari diyan sa mga pondo, kaya dapat siya ang mag-eksplika,” Romualdez said during a chance interview in Albay on Thursday.

(Then she should attend the hearing and testify. She is the only one who knows what has happened to the funds

Romualdez says Sara Duterte should attend House probe

House Deputy Minority Leader France Castro of ACT Teacherss Party-List added that if Duterte agreed to take an oath to tell the truth and responded to lawmakers’ questions, her subordinates would not have to face the House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability.

“Kasalanan niya ‘yan. Huwag niya kaming sisihin, dahil ginusto niya ‘yan, na ang mga staff niya ‘yung sumalang. Siya nga ang pinapasalang namin, ayaw niya mag-take oath,” Castro said.

VP Duterte says Marcos 'does not know how to be president'

Sara Duterte says she prefers peace and development programs instead of dole-outs