Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said Monday the department is studying potential legal action following Vice President Sara Duterte’s “disturbing” two-hour rant last week.
This after Duterte publicly threatened to exhume the remains of the late President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. and also disclosed she once daydreamed of decapitating his son, incumbent President Marcos Jr.
Two Congress leaders also urged the Vice President to seek professional medical help.
Remulla described Duterte’s remarks as “unbecoming” for the second highest official of the country and a “moral hazard.”
Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel III said Duterte’s statements were “strange and unusual.”
“Actually, I was worried about her (Duterte), and I think she needs to talk to some professionals and maybe friends and family so that she can express or share her thoughts and feelings. I hope she has close friends and family listening to give her some advice,” Pimentel said.
“She verbalized what she thought but her mind was not usual. Maybe she needs to talk to someone smarter than us. It’s not usual and I might say strange,” he added.
House Assistant Majority Leader and La Union Rep. Paolo Ortega V on Monday also voiced genuine concern over Duterte’s mental well-being.
“I really want to ask if she’s okay. I’m really worried,” he said.
Over the weekend, Ortega as well as Assistant Majority Leader and Zambales Rep. Jay Khonghun called for a psychological evaluation of the Vice President after she made the disturbing remarks.
“It was really beast mode. She is like angry at the entire world,” he said.
In a two-hour press conference last week, Duterte criticized the leadership of President Marcos, accusing him of incompetence.
Duterte also disclosed she warned Senator Imee Marcos that she would dig up and toss the remains of their father, the late President Ferdinand Marcos Sr., into the West Philippine Sea if they continued attacking her.
The remains of the elder Marcos were laid to rest at the Libingan ng mga Bayani in 2016 during the term of then-president Rodrigo Duterte, Sara’s father.
She also revealed that she once daydreamed of decapitating President Marcos Jr. after he declined to give his watch to a cadet who asked for it as graduation gift.
Presidential spokesman Cesar Chavez declined to dignify Duterte’s statements with a comment.
Ilocos Norte Governor Matthew Marcos Manotoc, son of Senator Imee, said he was also shocked and saddened to hear the statements of the Vice President, particularly that involving his mother who has been Duterte’s “loyal friend and supporter.”
“In my few interactions with VP Sara, she was always friendly and professional. It’s very disheartening to see her making things personal. As many say, this is just politics,” Manotoc said in a Facebook post.
For his part, Antipolo Rep. Romeo Acop assured the public the House of Representatives will continue its investigation into Duterte’s alleged mishandling of government funds.
“On our part, the performance of one’s duty should be the primordial consideration. That is our job, and therefore there will be no let-up to show what really happened in so far as the confidential funds of the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and the Department of Education (DepEd) when she was still the Secretary,” he said.
Duterte, who quit her Cabinet post as Education secretary in June, is facing questions over her use of confidential and intelligence funds, which have been flagged by Commission on Audit in 2023.
A COA report also showed that DepEd, under Duterte’s leadership in 2023, was only able to build 192 classrooms or just 3 percent of the 6,379 target.
Editor’s Note: This is an updated article. Originally posted with the headline “DOJ studying possible legal ramifications of VP Sara’s “disturbing” rants.”
