Actress Agot Isidro calls Duterte ‘psychopath’; Palace reacts

Screengrab from Agot Isidro’s Facebook page

Actress Agot Isidro trended on Twitter on Sunday for her strongly worded remarks against President Rodrigo Duterte, whom she called a “psychopath.”

Isidro took to Facebook on Friday to criticize Duterte for his continued expletive-laced remarks against the United States and international bodies for belittling as “crumbs” the foreign aid that the country had been receiving.

“Unang-una, walang umaaway sa iyo. As a matter of fact, ikaw ang nang-aaway. Pangalawa, ‘yung bansa kung saan ka iniluklok ng 16 million out of 100+ million people ay Third World.. Kung makapagsalita ka parang superpower ang Pilipinas eh,” Isidro wrote. “At excuse me, ayaw namin magutom. Mag-isa ka na lang. Wag kang mandamay. Hindi na nga nakakain ang nakararami, gugutumin mo pa lalo.”

(First of all, no one’s trying to fight you. As a matter of fact, you’re the one who’s picking a fight. Secondly, the country where you are elected as President by 16 million out of 100+ million is Third World. You talk as if the Philippines is a superpower. Excuse me, we don’t want to go hungry. If you want, you do it yourself. Leave us out of it. So many people have nothing to eat, and yet you’ll starve us even further.)

READ: Duterte tells Leni, execs on aid: ‘Crumbs’ not worthy of PH dignity, future

“Pangatlo, may kilala akong psychiatrist. Patingin ka. Hindi ka bipolar. You are a psychopath,” she said.

(Third, I know a psychiatrist. Get yourself checked. You’re not bipolar. You are a psychopath.)

Citing a “recalibrated” foreign policy, Duterte has launched a series of tirades against the US, the European Union, and the United Nations for calling him out on alleged extrajudicial killings and human rights violations in the government’s bloody war on drugs.

“Mamili kayo (You choose) — the crumbs of the favor of other nations, mag-asa lang tayo sa assistance nila (we just depend on their assistance), or we make a stand that this country must survive, that this country must see to it that the next generation is protected?” Duterte said in his speech last Thursday.

“If you think it is high time for you guys to withdraw your assistance, go ahead…We will not beg for it. We have a problem here trying to preserve our society,” he added.

READ: Duterte to US, EU, UN: We won’t beg for your assistance

Asked for reaction on Isidro’s post, Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella said that while the actress was entitled to her own opinion, “we need to really hear what the President is calling Filipinos to do, which is be free from dependence on foreign aid, which is what the lady is fearful we will lose.”

“The President is calling for Filipinos to be truly independent economically and mentally and psychologically,” Abella said.

But Presidential Communications Office Secretary Martin Andanar said the government welcomed continuing foreign aid despite Duterte’s lashing.

“We welcome the steadfast commitment of EU and UN to the Philippines. Our partnership goes beyond differences in policies,” Andanar said.

As of writing, Isidro’s post has garnered more than 6,100 shares and more than 18,000 reactions. JE/rga