The idea of an elected national official having a meltdown in the dark during a Zoom press conference, cursing and threatening to kill her political opponents, is almost incomprehensible. One wonders whether it is not a deepfake video.
Then again, the said official happens to be Vice President Sara Duterte. And then it starts making sense. Knowing her history and predisposition to act tough – a trait clearly inherited from her father – one could then begin to hazard explanations for her words and actions.
Ms. Duterte seems to outdo herself every time. She first rose to national prominence in 2011 by punching a sheriff in the middle of a demolition. These days, questions regarding her use of a self-promoting children’s book and her obstinate refusal to shed light on how she has spent her confidential funds, and even her challenge to all government officials to take a drug test, all betray a character that is anything but calm and reasonable.
Her latest episode was triggered by the detention of her chief of staff who had been cited in contempt by the Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability, and who had been ordered moved to the Correctional Institute for Women.
Perhaps the Vice President is naturally poor at handling her emotions, especially when it comes to people who shared her confidence. She could say anything in the heat of the moment, only to “put it in the proper logical context” later on.
Perhaps she is not used to being challenged. The Dutertes have lorded it over Davao for many years. Now at the national arena, not having her way could be something new to her.
Perhaps she feels the noose tightening around her neck. Ms. Duterte has evaded questions for so long, questions that are in fact so easy to answer in a straightforward manner by somebody not hiding anything. Now she might feel backed into a corner, running out of excuses for not talking. The obvious ploy then is to create some noise and hope people would forget the basic questions that led us here in the first place.
What is certain is that Ms. Duterte’s acts demean her office and channel precious government resources to situations she has created yet again.
Nothing justifies the unabashed threat to other people’s lives.Ms. Duterte is a lawyer. She should know better than to forget that such pronouncements partake of a criminal nature, whether she was only being dramatic or whether she really meant it.
Politics aside, it is difficult to imagine how anybody can continue to support and justify the unabashed thuggery. Let’s do away with the drama, answer the questions, and face the consequences of what she has done, and what she has said.
