MANILA (2nd UPDATE) — An order by a House committee to transfer Vice President Sara Duterte's chief-of-staff to a prison in Mandaluyong City on Friday night led to a standoff and a trip to the hospital for lawyer Zuleika Lopez, who reportedly fell ill on finding out about the transfer.

In a briefing early Saturday, House Sergeant-at-Arms Napoleon Taas said that security had tried to implement a resolution by the House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability to transfer Lopez to the Correctional Institute for Women from the detention center at the House.

VP Duterte on House probe: Why would I answer to them?

"However, the execution of this lawful order was directly obstructed by Vice President Sara Duterte, who took the extraordinary step of introducing herself as legal counsel and phsyically intervening to prevent the service of the transfer order," Taas said.

Taas, a retired police official, called Duterte's intervention a "blatant disgregard for institutional authority and due process."

He said that Duterte had also "disrupted" House operations, disregarded protocols on visits to detainees and "compromising security protocols by bringing an excessive and unauthorized armed presence into the complex."

Lopez is in House custody after being cited for contempt "for undue interference" in the panel's proceedings looking into previouse use by the Office of the Vice President and by the Department of Education of confidential funds granted to it in the 2022 and 2023 national budgets.

Congress has limited contempt powers in conducting hearings in aid of legislation or in the exercise of its oversight function.

'TRANSFER TO MORE SECURE FACILITIES'

Manila Rep. Joel Chua said the transfer was prompted by two letters that the committee had received from siblings Vice President Duterte and Davao City Rep. Paolo Duterte.

He said Rep. Duterte had informed the committee that he was letting his sister stay in his office while Vice President Duterte had written to request permission to jog in "the vicinity" of the House of Representatives.

"Na-alarm po ang ibang mga miyembro kasi may nagpo-post na po sa Facebook tungkol po dito sa mga sulat," he said.

(Some of the committee members were alarmed because people were posting on Facebook about these letters)

He said the committee held a meeting to discuss concerns about the security of the House with Lopez and Vice President Duterte there.

"Kaya napagdesisyunan ng mga miyembro na i-transfer sa pasilidad na mas may kapasidad, may kakayahan na mai-secure," he said, referring to Lopez.

(So the members decided to transfer her to a facility that can better secure her)

Lopez, however, resisted the transfer, claiming that nine individuals entered her room, confiscated her phone, and read the transfer order.

Vice President Duterte was present during the second attempt to read the order and declared herself Lopez’s legal counsel.

“Sumubok po kami... pero during this second attempt, andon na po si VP Sara at nagsasabi na siya yung official lawyer,” said the sergeant-at-arms.

(We tried, but during the second attempt, VP Sara was already there and saying she was the official lawyer) 

Chua questioned the Vice President’s legal authority because of constitutional limitations, saying the President, Vice President, and members of the Cabinet cannot practice their professions.

The congressman also dismissed allegations that medical assistance had been delayed, saying Lopez's condition was "not that serious" and that doctors were already on the way.

“Ang sinasabi lang po siguro nila na may naging katagalan is yung pag-aallow natin yung pagpasok ng doctor nila. Meron naman po tayong House doctors. Bakit di muna bibigyan natin ng tiwala?” he added.

(Maybe what they meant was the slight delay in allowing their doctors to come in. But we have House doctors. Why not trust them?)

He said the committee stands by its decision to transfer Lopez to Mandaluyong  after her discharge from the hospital.

HOUSE PROBE INTO CONFIDENTIAL FUNDS USE

VP Duterte: Speaker's interest in presidency behind House probe into confidential funds

The panel has been holding hearings on the how the OVP and the Department of Education, which Duterte led until July this year, used confidential funds granted to it in previous national budgets.

Duterte visited Lopez at the House on Thursday night, after regular visiting hours, and had been allowed in as a courtesy.

Taas said, however, that the Vice President "escalated the situation by overstaying her visit and ignoring repeated directives from the Sergeant-at-Arms to leave the premises."

He said that Duterte's presence at the House prompted a lockdown of the Batasan Pambansa complex.

The House Majority called the move a disrespect of the House as an institution that also compromised its security.

Duterte has been staying at the office of Rep. Duterte, saying she wants to be near Lopez.

READ: House panel chair rejects VP Duterte’s request to stay with detained chief-of-staff

— with Kaxandra Salonga, ABS-CBN News