FORMER president Rodrigo Duterte downplayed the controversy involving his daughter, Vice President Sara Duterte, and her Office of the Vice President (OVP) staff, saying it should not be treated as "serious."
"Maliit na bagay masyado 'yan para... sabihin mong [gumawa] ng gulo. 'Wag. Alam ko 'yan kasi naging presidente ako (That's too small of an issue to say it would cause trouble. Don't. I know that because I was once a president)," Duterte said in a press conference on Monday evening, November 25.
However, Duterte raised concerns about how the House of Representatives Quadcom Committee treated OVP Chief-of-Staff Zuleika Lopez, a former Davao City administrator under Sara’s mayoralty.
He revealed that Lopez's family approached him to express their grievances after she was detained by the House and ordered to be transferred to the Women’s Correctional. Duterte assured them that while it was part of the legal process and could not be questioned, his daughter, along with Davao senators Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa and Bong Go, were taking turns monitoring Lopez at the Veterans Memorial Medical Center, where she was confined due to illness.
"Eh ganon talaga, proseso iyon ng gobyerno... We cannot question their authority. It's just too bad ganon lang ang nangyari (That's just how it is; it's part of the government process... We cannot question their authority. It's just unfortunate that it turned out that way)," Duterte said.
As a lawyer and former prosecutor, Duterte emphasized that Lopez is not a "criminal" and that being cited for contempt does not equate to committing a crime.
"Yung contempt is just a measure for the orderly conduct of the congressional hearing (Contempt is just a measure for the orderly conduct of the congressional hearing)," he added.
Lopez, speaking in an online press conference on Friday, November 22, claimed she was caught off guard when staff from the Legislative Security Bureau (LSB) entered her room at 11:30 p.m., confiscated her phone, and read her transfer order.
Also a lawyer, Lopez questioned the legality of the order and sought guidance from Vice President Duterte on possible legal remedies.
Duterte expressed confidence in his daughter’s ability to rise above the allegations surrounding her.
The vice president recently faced criticism after allegedly instructing the assassination of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and House Speaker Martin Romualdez in the event of her death.
Sara clarified that her statement was taken out of context.
Duterte, who has often described his daughter as having a strong personality, was unsurprised by her fiery remarks.
"Syempre pag ganong init ng... sino ba namang hindi mag-init ang ulo. Alam mo si Inday, siguro may nagsabi sa kanya (Of course, when things get heated... who wouldn't lose their temper? You know, Inday, maybe someone told her)," he said.
The former president voiced greater concern for Lopez’s condition, noting that her health had worsened due to the stress caused by the allegations raised during the hearing.
He called on the House Quadcom to act decisively by filing charges if they had evidence of misuse of OVP confidential funds. RGL
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