SENATOR Panfilo Lacson on Sunday slammed a top United Nations official for saying President Rodrigo Duterte needed a “psychiatric evaluation.”
He said the statement by Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, the United Nation’s High Commissioner for Human Rights, was “uncalled for” and unbecoming of a high official
“Coming from a high official of the United Nations, it was uncalled for and not proper especially [because] it came from him,” Lacson told dzBB radio.
But opposition Senator Antonio Trillanes IV said he agreed with Zeid’s suggestion.
“His murderous and erratic ways plus his crass, twisted and perverted statements are indicative of a deeply sick mind,” Trillanes said.
“That is not a normal mind. For the sake of the safety and well-being of the entire Filipino nation whose lives are subjected to his power, I call on Duterte to prove that he has a sound mental health by going through a psychiatric evaluation.”
Meanwhile, Rep. Carlos Zarate said Sunday the Justice department’s move to tag at least 600 people as terrorists and to grant subpoena powers to two police officials were the “prelude” to an intensified crackdown on the members of progressive organizations.
Last week, President Duterte signed a law restoring to the Philippine National Police and the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group the power to issue subpoenas to crime suspects.
“It would not be a surprise if the PNP-CIDG abused their newly minted subpoena powers to harass and oppress progressives,” Zarate said in a statement.
Earlier, Duterte castigated the UN’s Human rights officials for criticizing his bloody war on illegal drugs.
In retaliation, Zeid said: “It makes one believe that the President of the Philippines needs to submit himself to some sort of psychiatric evaluation.”
Defending the President, Lacson said more than 16-million Filipinos voted for Duterte and that was part of our democracy.
He said it was foul for someone to insult the President especially if he was not a countryman.
He said Zeid must draw the line. If insolence was improper, the UN official should not make it proper by returning the insult to Duterte.