Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 9) — Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano hit back at United Nations (UN) High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein on Friday following reports the latter said Duterte may need "psychiatric evaluation."

In a press release, Cayetano said the Philippines took "grave exception" to Zeid's comments, and countered the world needs more leaders like President Rodrigo Duterte.

"The world actually needs more Dutertes―leaders with empathy; leaders who listen to their people; and leaders who are ready to sacrifice their lives to protect their people," Cayetano said.

He said there was no reason for Zeid's "unmeasured outburst," and it should not be repeated.

Duterte has had rocky relations with the UN and other international rights organizations looking to investigate alleged human rights violations under the country's war on drugs.

Just last week, he had told police to ignore UN human rights investigators if they talk to them about the war on drugs.

READ: Duterte tells police to ignore UN human rights probers of drug war

However, the Foreign Affairs Chief said Friday the Philippines is "perturbed" at how a ranking UN human rights official could insult leaders of member-states without giving them due process.

"This action of High Commissioner Zeid Ra’ad Al-Hussein is completely uncalled for and demeans not only the Head of State of a Member-State, but tarnishes the reputation of the Office of the High Commissioner," said Cayetano.

Cayetano also defended the Justice Department's reported inclusion of UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Victoria Tauli-Corpuz in a list of 600 names the DOJ submitted as a proposed blacklist to the Metro Manila Regional Trial Court.

UN Human Rights experts on Friday had condemned Tauli-Corpuz's inclusion in the list. In her own statement dated Thursday, she denounced the inclusion of her name and called it "baseless, malicious, and irresponsible."

READ: UN human rights experts slam inclusion of rapporteur in DOJ 'terrorist' list

"Contrary to the impression of the High Commissioner, Ms. Victoria Tauli-Corpuz was included in the list not because of her position as Special Rapporteur but because of her alleged links with the Ilocos-Cordillera Regional Committee (ICRC) of the CPP-NPA, which, if the High Commissioner is not aware of, is in the list of foreign terrorist organizations of both the United States and the European Union," Cayetano said.

He said if Tauli-Corpuz and others in the petition are innocent, they can clear their names and prove in court they have never been associated with the CPP-NPA.

"The High Commissioner may not be aware of it but he is being used in a well-orchestrated effort to destabilize a legitimate government that is being undertaken by parties with self-serving agendas and who stand to benefit the most by unseating President Duterte," Cayetano added.

The drug war has been criticized by local and international human rights groups since it began in 2016, when Duterte took office.

While government data show around 4,000 drug suspects were killed in operations, the groups believe the number to be as high as 13,000.