Adi Joaquim Tolentino

Vice President Sara Duterte said that the Office of the Vice President, including herself, is ready to take a drug test as she provokes all members of the government to undertake it as well. 

Photo Courtesy of GMA News.

During a Facebook live on November 24, Duterte addressed several statements about her needing a psychological test.

“Ako daw ay krung krung, ako daw ay baliw, at ako daw ay wala sa tamang pag-iisip. Ano ba sabi ko sa inyong lahat, psychological test? Kahit ano yan, neuro psychiatric test? Kahit ano pang test ‘yan, gagawin ko ‘yan– dagdagan ko pa ng drug test,” she said.

She is willing to go through medical tests to prove that she is in the right state of mind as long as the people working for the government would do the same.

“Dapat mag-pa-drugtest ang lahat ng mga nagtatrabaho sa Office of the President, sa Office of the Vice President, sa lahat ng opisina ng Senado sa lahat ng opisina ng House of Representatives sa lahat ng departamento ng ating bayan, ng ating pamahalaan,” she added.

Duterte also mentioned the government's failure to show transparency and accountability to the public.

“Pinagtatakpan ninyo ang mga kakulangan ng pamahalaan, ako ang ginagawa ninyong punching bag para hindi napapansin, nakikita, [at] naririnig ng mga tao ang kalokohan, ang korupsyon, at ang katiwalian na ginagawa sa gobyerno,” she expressed.

She also pointed out Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s campaign promise was yet to be fulfilled before he became president.

“Simulan na natin sa mga campaign promises, dapat po ang politiko ay nag-promise na magbibigay ng 20 pesos per kilo na bigas, dapat ay tinutupad yon,” she said.

Duterte called out to the public to demand the government for good public service.

Over the weekend, lawmakers found inconsistencies in 158 acknowledgment receipts submitted by the OVP for justification of confidential funds which amounts to P23.8 million.

The several inconsistencies in the receipts include identical handwriting, untrue dates, and questionable names such as “Mary Grace Piattos.”

Several OVP officials such as the administrative and financial services director, chief administrative officer, and chief accountant, had no information to present about the misused confidential funds as they were clueless of how it was spent.

The information they all shared was about who would likely know of it: Gina Acosta, the OVP’s special disbursing officer, and Zuleika Lopez, long-time aide and current Chief of Staff of Duterte.

Lopez indicated Acosta and Lemuel Ortonio for knowing as they signed vouchers and checks for the confidential funds.

Lopez was soon held for contempt and detained by the committee at the House of Representatives detention facility for five days.

After three days, Lopez was soon hospitalized for having a panic attack and vomiting which was followed by Duterte to protect her staff.