Presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella JOAN BONDOC/Philippine Daily Inquirer
Malacañang on Sunday came to the defense of President Duterte who was branded as a “serial killer president” and a “psychopath” by a foreign newspaper and a local entertainment personality, respectively.
“The French newspaper’s comment was disrespectful,” presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella said of the The Liberation, which tagged Mr. Duterte as a “serial killer president” in wake of the latter’s ongoing brutal war on drugs.
The newspaper wrote about the government’s anti-drug campaign which had so far claimed the lives of over 3,000 drug suspects in the first three months of the Duterte administration.
Duterte was also branded as a “psychopath” by singer and actress Agot Isidro on her Facebook page.
Isidro was commenting on President Duterte’s continuing controversial statements against the United States and other allies critical of his antidrug drive and whom he dared to withdraw aid to the Philippines.
Picking a fight
In her post, Isidro said no one was fighting with the President but he was the one picking a fight.
Isidro also slammed the Chief Executive fortalking “as if the Philippines is a superpower.”
“Excuse me, we don’t want to go hungry. If you want, do it yourself. Leave us out of it. So many people have nothing to eat and you’ll starve us even further,” she said.
Isidro also said she knew a psychiatrist and told Mr. Duterte to see that person.
“You are not bipolar. You are a psychopath,” Isidro concluded.
READ: Actress Agot Isidro calls Duterte ‘psychopath’; Palace reacts
Abella said Isidro “is entitled to her own opinion. She obviously misses what (President Duterte) intends—which is to break Filipino dependence on others, and to inspire a patriotic and independent spirit.”
He was referring to the President’s bid to pursue an independent foreign policy.