Former senator Leila de Lima (right) testifies at the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing on extrajudicial killings, addressing alleged human rights violations from his administration’s war on drugs on October 28, 2024. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News

QUEZON CITY – Former Senator Atty. Leila De Lima said on Sunday she does not agree with the House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability's decision to transfer detained Office of the Vice President Chief of Staff Atty. Zuleika Lopez. 

She said Lopez should only be moved to detention facilities. 

The House panel on Friday night ordered Lopez to be moved to the Correctional Institute for Women in Mandaluyong from the detention center at the House. 

The move was blocked by Vice President Sara Duterte that same night, after she introduced herself as Lopez's lawyer. 

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"Yung Correctional Institute for Women, para sa akin hindi yun yung tama, yung tamang pagkalalagyan ng mga nacocontempt kasi hindi pa sila convicted. Malinaw po sa akin yan. So sa tingin ko oversight lang yan dun sa committee. O kaya sa New Bilibid Prison hindi dapat pinapadala doon ang mga pinapa-contempt nila. Doon lang sa mga detention jail facility pwede," De Lima said at the Kapihan sa Manila Bay.  

"And then yun na nga, kung talagang may sakit o may nararamdaman, yun pwede sa government hospital huwag naman sa private hospital," she added. 

De Lima said the Mandaluyong Prison and the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City are correctional facilities "not designed and aimed only at convicted persons." She added that it's "not proper or legal" to transfer Lopez to these facilities. 

ABS-CBN News has reached out to House panel chairperson Manila Rep. Joel Chua for comment on the matter. 

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After falling ill on Friday, Lopez was brought to Veterans Memorial Medical Center and later forwarded to St. Luke's Medical Center after her "next of kin" insisted on her move. 

Lopez was eventually returned to the VMMC, a government facility, on Saturday afternoon after her condition stabilized. 

De Lima believes there was no violation committed when House security tried to serve the transfer order to Lopez late Friday night, a move questioned by Lopez in an online press conference. 

"Tungkol doon sa paglilipat, that's within their right yung contempt powers nila kung saan nila ilalagay. Kung sa tingin nila, dahil nga nanggulo na si VP Sara [Duterte] kaya nag-isip sila ng ibang venue," she said. 

"Kung hindi siya [Duterte] umeksena ng ganun… hindi na makakaaisip yung committee na ilipat siya [Lopez] kung saan. It is a consequence of the questionable acts of VP Sara [Duterte]," De Lima added. 

The former Senator also doubted claims of Lopez that she fears for her life. 

Castro, who moved to cite Lopez in contempt last Thursday, said the order is only valid until Monday, November 25, the resumption of the House panel hearing. 

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"Hanggang bukas nalang talaga yung contempt ni Atty. Lopez. Kung wala naman magtatanong na, di magtatanong yung committee, matatapos ng maayos yung committee hearing, makakauwi naman siya," she said. 

"Tuloy bukas. Nag sabi naman si Chairman [Joel] Chua na tuloy bukas. Merong mga ipepresentang witness. So sana dumating yung apat na pinapatawag na empleyado ng OVP kasi ito yung mahahalaga eh," the congresswoman added. 

When asked about the plan of Lopez to resign as OVP chief of staff, Castro said this will not prevent the House panel from still inviting her to future hearings. 

"Kahit mag resign siya kailangan parin niya humarap sa committee hangga't hindi pa napupuspos yung tanong ng committee sa kanya. It's her personal decision na wala tayong pakialam," she said. 

Castro also responded to questions on whether the House should provide security for Lopez. 

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"Adult na siya eh. Proteksyunan niya sarili niya. Hindi na ganun kailangan na sobrang arte na kumakapit pa siya parang bata na nawalan ng ina. Kami sa House of Representatives, ang sakop lang namin yung investigation, being her as resource person. Hanggang dun lang yun. Siguro sa family ni attorney Lopez yung mabigyan siya ng tulong," she said. 

Lopez is in detention after she was cited in contempt by the House panel on Thursday for giving vague answers and for sending a letter to the Commission on Audit to not comply with a subpoena to submit documents on the audit of the 2022 and 2023 confidential funds of the OVP and Department of Education. 

The House panel will resume its investigation on the alleged misuse of confidential funds of the agencies under the Vice President's leadership. 

Duterte has earlier denied misuse of confidential funds of the OVP and DepEd.

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