The Quezon City Prosecutor’s Office has dismissed the assault complaint filed against Vice President Sara Duterte in connection with the transfer of her aide, Zuleika Lopez, to a private hospital in November 2024. The complaint, which included allegations of direct assault, disobedience to authority, and grave coercion, was also filed against Duterte’s security head, Army Col. Raymund Dante Lachica.
The complaint stemmed from an incident where Lopez, then detained at the House of Representatives, reportedly fell ill after being informed of her transfer to the Correctional Institute for Women in Mandaluyong City. Police claimed that Lachica physically assaulted police doctor Lt. Col. Van Jason Villamor during the alleged “forced transfer.”
In a resolution dated January 17, Assistant City Prosecutor Criscelyn Carayugan-Lugo ruled there was no sufficient evidence to support the charges. The resolution stated that the acts attributed to Duterte and Lachica, such as placing a hand on Villamor’s chest and pushing, did not meet the criteria for direct assault. “The force exerted must be more severe than just slapping or punching,” Carayugan-Lugo explained.
The complaint of disobedience to authority was also dismissed, as Villamor was found not to have been acting within the scope of his official duties during the incident. Additionally, the grave coercion charge was rejected due to the absence of violence, threats, or intimidation.
The prosecutor concluded that the allegations lacked “prima facie evidence” and that the video footage provided contradicted the claims. The complaint was ultimately dismissed for insufficiency of evidence.
