UN chief says Philippines president Duterte needs “psychiatric evaluation”

A series of profanity-laced diatribes lashed out by President Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines against United Nations rapporteurs has forced a scathing reply by UN human rights chief who says the leader needs “psychiatric evaluation”.

In his remarks, rights chief Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein while listing some of Manila’s actions against UN officials said “it makes one believe that the president of the Philippines needs to submit himself to some sort of psychiatric evaluation.”

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Zeid and other UN rights officials have focused significant attention on Duterte’s controversial drug war.

Since he took office, police have reported killing about 4,000 people in the crackdown.

Another 2,290 have been murdered in drug-related crimes, while thousands of other deaths remain unsolved, according to government data.

Many Filipinos continue to support the crackdown and believe Duterte is making society safer.

 

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