Trillanes supports Duterte psychiatric evaluation

Supporting the suggestion of United Nations (UN) human rights chief, Senator Antonio Trillanes IV said President Rodrigo Duterte should go through psychiatric evaluation for the safety of the whole Filipino nation. (Photo: Senate of the Philippines/Facebook)

Supporting the suggestion of United Nations (UN) human rights chief, Senator Antonio Trillanes IV said President Rodrigo Duterte should go through psychiatric evaluation for the safety of the whole Filipino nation.

“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,” Trillanes said in a statement on Sunday, March 11.

Trillanes, who has been one of Duterte’s staunchest critics, said that the President’s “murderous and erratic ways plus his crass, twisted and perverted” remarks are indication of a “deeply sick mind.”

“Hindi ‘yan normal na pag-iisip, lalo na ng isang Filipino (That is not a normal way of thinking, especially for a Filipino),” he added.

In a news conference last Friday, UN Commissioner Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein said that Duterte needs to see a psychiatrist.

“These attacks cannot go unanswered, the UN Human Rights Council must take a position,” he said.

“It makes one believe that the president needs to submit himself to some sort of psychiatric examination. This kind of comment is unacceptable, unacceptable,” he added.

This statement came after the Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a petition to formally tag a UN rapporteur and 648 other individuals as terrorists.

Trillanes may have agreed to this remark but his colleague, Senator Panfilo Lacson, thinks it was “uncalled for” and unbecoming of a UN official.

“Coming from a high official of the United Nations, mukhang uncalled for, mukhang hindi nararapat lalo’t sa kaniya nanggaling. Diba dapat medyo mataas yung level niya, lalo na’t sa edukasyon, sa demeanor at lahat (it seems uncalled for. It doesn’t seem appropriate, especially coming from him. Isn’t he supposed to have a higher level of education, demeanor and all)?” Lacson asked.

“Mahigit labing-anim na milyon ang bumoto kay Pangulong Duterte at ‘yun ay bahagi ng ating demokrasya. Para mainsulto ng isang hindi naman natin kababayan, sa akin parang hindi nararapat (There were more than 16 million Filipinos who voted for President Duterte and that is part of our democracy. To be insulted by somebody who is not our fellow Filipino, to me, is not right),” he added.

Aside from Lacson, the Palace also slammed Zeid’s pronouncement, saying that the UN human rights chief should respect the sovereignty of the Philippines.

“The language used by the high commissioner is uncalled for. I’m very tempted to respond in similar language but I have opted to restrain myself, opting not to respond in the same ad hominem used by the UN high commissioner,” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said on Saturday, March 10.

UN human rights officials have been the subject of the President’s profanity-laced tirades for criticizing his administration’s drug war. He recently threatened to feed to crocodiles any special rapporteur from UN who will come to the country to investigate his campaign against illegal drugs.