Vice President Sara Duterte has challenged all government officials to undergo a drug test following statements by several officials suggesting she needs to seek professional help after her "threatening" remarks against the President, First Lady, and House Speaker.
In a Facebook Live on Sunday night, the Vice President defended her office amid scrutiny from the House of Representatives, with several officials currently detained at the facility. She stressed that the public has the right to demand in the government.
Duterte said that she would only agree to the challenge of taking a psychological test if everyone in the government would also take a test, particularly a drug test.
"Sinabi nila, ako daw ay krung-krung, ako daw ay baliw, ako daw ay wala sa tamang pag-iisip. Ano ba ang sabi ko sa inyong lahat? Psychological test, neuro-psychiatric test, kahit ano pang test 'yan, gagawin ko. Dagdagan ko pa ng drug test. Pero dapat magpa-drug test ang lahat ng nagtatrabaho sa Office of the President, sa OVP, sa lahat ng opisina ng Senado, sa lahat ng opisina ng HOR, at sa lahat ng departamento ng ating pamahalaan," the Vice President said.
Duterte added that she is being used as a "punching bag" to cover up corruption and anomalies within the government.
"Pinagtatakpan ninyo ang mga kakulangan ng pamahalaan. Ako ang ginagawa ninyong punching bag para hindi napapansin, nakikita, naririnig ng mga tao ang kalokohan, ang korapsyon, at ang katiwalian na ginagawa sa gobyerno," she said.
In a press conference on Saturday, Duterte said she has contracted to kill President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Marcos, and House Speaker Martin Romualdez if an alleged plot against her succeeds.
Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin referred the "active threat" against the President to an elite presidential guards force "for immediate and proper action."
Duterte, a lawyer, later tried to walk back her remarks, clarifying that they were not actual threats but an expression of concern over an unspecified threat to her own life.
"If I expressed the concern, they will say that’s a threat to the life of the president?" she said.
"Why would I kill him if not for revenge from the grave? There is no reason for me to kill him. What’s the benefit for me?" Duterte told reporters.
The OVP is currently under scrutiny over allegations of misuse of confidential and intelligence funds amounting to PHP612.5 million during Duterte's tenure, including her time as Education Secretary.
OVP Chief of Staff Zuleika Lopez, who was detained at the House of Representatives after being cited in contempt during the House Quad Committee hearing, was ordered by the House Committee on Public Accountability to be transferred to the Women's Correctional Facility on Friday evening. Duterte accompanied Lopez and acted as her lawyer.
However, Lopez fell ill and was brought to the Veterans Memorial Medical Center (VMMC) in Quezon City.
