By Roy Ramos

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines

Critics who called President Rodrigo Duterte “paranoid” and “insecure” were slammed by his daughter, southern Philippines Davao City Mayor Inday Sara Duterte-Carpio in a statement released Sunday.

“Of course he is not [paranoid],” said Carpio. “All his destabilization claims are from intel reports and reliable sources from inside the offices of the people identified with the opposition,” she added. 

“Tindig Pilipinas”, the cause-oriented group that launched a signature campaign urging the president to sign a bank secrecy waiver opening his family’s bank accounts for scrutiny said the older Duterte is a “paranoid and insecure little man afraid of losing power”. 

"The threat of destabilization is as real as terrorism," said Carpio. 

Carpio defended her father, as one who holds the highest position in the country over “power grabbers” who are “apparently committing an act of self-defense to conceal their intentions against the Duterte administration". 

“How can he be insecure when he is the president? When you are the president, there is nothing that will make you feel insecure — not a survey result or a person like Trillanes or a power-hungry group called Tindig Pilipinas,” she said.

Senator Antonio Trillanes IV has been a vocal critic of the president since the 2016 elections campaign. He alleged that the Duterte family has billions of pesos in bank deposits and has also accused presidential son Paolo Duterte of involvement in smuggling.