House Deputy Speaker Rep. Paolo Ortega quipped at the recent cautious remark of Office of the Vice President Chief of Staff Atty. Zuleika Lopez when she visited the Senate on Thursday, 9 July.

In a short ambush interview, Lopez said, “Prepare for Typhoon Inday.” A statement that comes prior to her scheduled testimony at the impeachment court against her boss, Vice President Sara Duterte.

On the same day, members of the prosecution panel conducted a press conference where the group were asked about their reaction to the utterance of the OVP executive.

“Yes, they should be prepared as well ‘cause typically they’re the ones missing when there’s a storm. So maybe they should prepare. We are all prepared,” Ortega said in response to the query.

The solon further maintained that the current administration was already reminded to prepare for the potential impact of the weather disturbance by other personalities linked to Duterte last week, noting that Lopez may be delivering the same message.

“Let’s just be prepared for the storm, not the impeachment because the prosecutors are already prepared,” he said.

Following up on the sentiments of Ortega, House public prosecutor Rep. Ysabel Zamora who offered a more literal remark when it came to the foreboding remark.

“It is true that there’s a storm called Inday, so let’s be prepared for the storm,” she said.

Over the past week, the House prosecution team finished its presentation of its first witness in National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) senior agent John Mark Calilung, who was called to verify the recording wherein the Vice President uttered her seditious remarks towards the president, the first lady, and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez.

In a manifestation submitted to the court on Wednesday, 8 July, the upcoming witnesses for the resumption of the proceedings this coming Monday, 13 July, were said to be NBI regional director Atty. Jeremy Lotoc, House Sergeant-At-Arms official Capt. Belinda Bello, and Lopez.

To recall, the OVP executive was previously called as a witness when the House Committee on Good Governance and Public Accountability held hearings to investigate the supposed misuse of confidential funds from Duterte’s office.

As for her statement, it comes at a time when speculations pertaining to another appearance of the Vice President at the Senate was floated given that she was seen in the premises on Tuesday, 7 July, conferring with members of her counsel.

Notably, House private prosecutor Atty. Lorna Kapunan had also made a manifestation to the impeachment court that they were planning to call Duterte as their hostile witness for the impeachment article on grave threats.

“We are already respectfully informing this Honorable Court that we will manifest that we will have a written request for her presence in connection with this article on grave threats,” Kapunan said.

Upon confirmation from impeachment court presiding officer Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero that the court would act on a motion of the prosecution to compel Duterte to take the witness stand, the lawyer stated that she was reserving their right to request for the Vice President’s appearance.

“We will reserve the right. We are not waiving the right to call her at the appropriate time and to file the appropriate request for subpoena duces tecum and subpoena testificandum,” she said.