Prosecutors question Sara Duterte’s fitness to be president

MANILA, Philippines – Vice President Sara Duterte’s fitness for the presidency was put in question on Tuesday as impeachment prosecutors raised concerns on her temperament over her violent threats against President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.

In a media briefing, Bicol Saro Rep. Terry Ridon said it was unacceptable for the nation to have a leader who either “lies in front of the people” or “contracts a killer,” referring to Duterte’s profanity-laden outburst against Marcos and his family.

Duterte, who is facing an impeachment trial in the Senate, faces an array of accusations that she misused hundreds of millions in confidential funds, amassed unexplained wealth and threatened the lives of Marcos, the First Lady, and his cousin, a former speaker of the House of Representatives.

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“Is this the kind of president that we want? A vice president that lies or a vice president that contracts a killer,” Ridon said.

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READ: Prosecutors to scrutinize Sara Duterte’s fitness for office

A scion of a popular political family, Duterte has emerged as a strong contender for the presidency, buoyed by a loyal base that keeps her appeal intact even amid swirling controversy that has led to her being impeached twice in her four years in office.

Duterte announced her plan to run in 2028 after efforts to remove her from office resurfaced in February.

“I don’t think it is acceptable to the people that you have a vice president that lies in front of the people, or a vice president that contracts a killer,” said Ridon, an impeachment prosecutor.

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Duterte’s lawyers on Monday denied that the vice president hired an assassin to kill Marcos, first lady Liza Araneta Marcos and former House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez in the event that she were killed.

Manila Rep. Joel Chua, also an impeachment prosecutor, echoed Ridon’s sentiment in a separate statement, saying that Duterte’s outburst – which stemmed from an order to transfer her chief-of-staff to a jail after being detained by lawmakers in the House for “undue interference” – raised questions over her disposition and ability to keep her emotions in check.

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“What if the time comes that she becomes president, and an incident happens to her staff. Does that mean she’ll unleash her wrath on anyone because she is angry?” Chua asked in Filipino.

Prosecutors need at least two-thirds of the Senate to convict Duterte, a verdict that would remove her from office and may also carry a perpetual ban from holding public office for life. /mr

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