After drawing flak, Sara Duterte fights off claims she's 'mentally unstable'

MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Sara Duterte fired back at critics questioning her state of mind on Tuesday, October 22, and insisted her recent tirades against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. — including an admission she once wanted to cut off his head in anger — were her mere response to being hounded by political attacks for more than a year.

In yet another freewheeling interview with the media on the sidelines of an event on Tuesday, October 22, Duterte took exception with those calling her "unstable" and flipped the accusation back at the president's allies in the House of Representatives who have been investigating her office's alleged misuse of funds. 

This comes after Duterte held a two-hour press conference last week where she aired her grievances against the president and recounted an incident where she said she wanted to "cut off his head" for humiliating a student who asked for his watch as a graduation gift. 

The comment did not sit well with a number of lawmakers, including Senate Minority Leader Koko Pimentel and Senate President Chiz Escudero, who both described Duterte's remarks as "unusual" and "unbecoming," respectively.

Duterte also recalled a conversation where she allegedly threatened Sen. Imee Marcos with exhuming the remains of the ousted dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr. to toss into the West Philippine Sea if the political attacks against her persist.

House leaders — including Assistant Majority leader Zia Alonto Adiong, the budget sponsor of the Office of the Vice President — said Duterte's statements were "pure desperation" and had hit a "new low in public discourse" and urged her to tackle the allegations about her office's budget instead.

For Duterte, the issue boils down to officials who "have never seen a politician who has nothing to lose."

"Unstable, unhinged, unbecoming, unsound mine... I'm not any of those," Duterte said in mixed English and Filipino.

"They have never seen a politician who's IDGAF (I don't give a f***). I’m not like them. People tend to say things like I'm crazy, desperate... but why would I be desperate? I'm the vice president of the Republic of the Philippines. I'm not going anywhere. So what would I be desperate about?" she said.

Duterte said she was willing to undergo a televised neuropsychiatric exam and a drug test as long as those seeking re-election in the House of Representatives are willing to be tested for drugs. 

The vice president singled out those running to represent Davao City’s first district, specifically her brother Rep. Paolo Duterte and Rep. Margarita Nograles — one of the perceived adversaries of the vice president in the lower chamber.

"So what we will do is have two tests for me because they say I'm unstable," Duterte said.

"In my view, they're unstable too. Why? Because when someone responds to their attacks, they get angry and call them unstable. Well, for me, you’re all unstable too," she added.

Duterte also scored Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla for criticizing her remarks about exhuming Marcos Sr.'s body, saying: "There is a big difference between talking about desecration of a body and actually desecrating a body."

While doing a sign of the cross to mimic being in prayer, Duterte said: "Let’s pray for the Philippines because we have a secretary of Justice who doesn’t understand the law."

Remulla told reporters on Tuesday that Duterte's remarks are "very disturbing" and "shocking." 

"We’ll just leave it at that and I think we all know the score, of what kind of vice president we have… How seemingly unstable her mind can be," Remulla said.

Grand distraction

The word war between Duterte and her critics in the House — including Rep. Sandro Marcos, who called out the vice president for "crossing the line" with her remarks against his family — are more akin to "theatrics" than actual discourse, according to the Kabataan Partylist.

"Sara’s rants are not a mental health issue; these are an accountability issue. She doesn't need a day at the doctor's clinic but a day in Court or Congress hearings for her alleged crimes. What the past days have shown us is that she and her family are surely crazy for power," Kabataan Partylist First Nominee Renee Louise Co said.

"Health concerns have been used from Imelda Marcos, Gloria Arroyo to Rodrigo Duterte and many others to escape accountability, while many political prisoners suffer and die in jail cells due to illnesses. The youth sees beyond these theatrics, and we must treat her sins against the Filipino people with grave seriousness," Co said.

Playing with Duterte's choice of words for her press conference last week, Co added: "The country is being dragged to hell with the Marcos-Duterte clan wars. The youth already have enough problems as it is."

Sara cusses at opponents anew

Insisting she is not naturally confrontational, Duterte said she decided to speak out more after jealousy-fueled attacks against her supposedly escalated after her exit from the Lakas–Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD) party in 2023. 

The party, currently led by House Speaker Martin Romualdez, was the launchpad for Duterte's vice presidential run in 2022. She left the party in 2023 after a House shakeup led to the demotion of former president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, another party stalwart, who lost the senior deputy speaker title.

Duterte expressed her frustration over what she described as relentless political harassment against her and those associated with her, noting that some of them are "in depression, another contemplating suicide, and others facing severe health issues." 

She also cussed at her adversaries, saying "mga g*** talaga yan sila."

"Politics is the root of these attacks. That's perpetuation of power," Duterte said, adding that she would speak about Romualdez "at another time."