A REPRESENTATIVE from progressive groups urged the public not to be swayed by Vice President Sara Duterte’s challenge to the lawmakers about undergoing drug and psychological tests as the real issue is the misuse of confidential and intelligence funds in the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and the Department of Education (DepEd).
Teodoro “Teddy” Casiño, Bagong Alyansa Makabayan (Bayan) chairperson, said that lawmakers and the public should focus on the issue of confidential funds and not react to the intrigue and controversy surrounding the vice president during her recent press conference.
“We hope yung mga [that the] congressmen and senators do not fall for that Duterte playbook,” he said in a media interview, on Wednesday morning, October 23 2024, at Yellow Hauz, Davao City.
Casiño, who is also running for Senator in 2025, said that what Duterte is doing now has shifted the focus from the confidential funds issue in Congress. He noted that, unfortunately, her tactics are working, as some Congress members have reacted to her gambits and are now contemplating whether they should undergo drugs or psychological tests.
“Obviously, it was right out the Duterte playbook yung magsasabi ko ng something so ridiculous and something so controversial na yoon nalang ang pag-uusapan at hindi na mapag-uusapan ang issue na,” he said.
(Obviously, it was right out the Duterte playbook that you would say something so ridiculous and something so controversial that it would become the talk of the people and the present issue would no longer be tackled).
He explained that after Duterte’s controversial press conference, many people suggested that she should undergo a psychological test, which then led to discussions about a drug test. This eventually prompted her to challenge all congressmen to undergo drug and psychological tests as well.
Casiño expressed that the public should refocus on the core issue and ignore the vice president's tirades.
He pointed out that the logical outcome of what is happening with Duterte could be impeachment, with the issue of misuse of funds. He said that if the vice president is not impeached, it would validate her claims that all that is being hurled against her now is just because of purely politics.
“I think there should be a serious effort at accountability, to hold the Dutertes accountable for their crimes and again makulong si [to imprison] Rodrigo Duterte at ma-impeach [to impeach] (si) Sara. These are all the logical conclusions of all this investigation,” he said.
To recall, discussions about the vice president’s impeachment have surfaced, but lawmakers have consistently denied these claims.
The House of Representatives is investigating the alleged misuse of funds in the OVP and DepEd under Duterte’s leadership. She attended the first hearing but did not attend subsequent hearings, claiming that the hearings were being used as a tool to attack her.
Following her controversial press conference on October 18, 2024, Sara issued a challenge to House members to undergo psychological and drug tests after they suggested that she take a psychiatric evaluation.
On Wednesday, Pwersa ng Bayaning Atleta (PBA) Partylist Representative Margarita "Migs" Nograles and First District Congressman Paolo "Pulong" Duterte underwent hair follicle drug tests on the same day at different venues. Cong. Duterte then encouraged all congressmen to undergo the test, emphasizing they could afford it. RGP