The Supreme Court (SC) junked the petition seeking the disclosure of health records of President Rodrigo Duterte.
In the special en banc session of the magistrates, 13 voted to junk the petition for mandamus filed by Atty. Dino De Leon while Associate Justices Marvic Leonen and Alfredo Benjamin Caguioa dissented.
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said the petition has “no legal and factual bases.” “We believe it is designed to distract the President from his job and erode the confidence of the Filipinos to PRRD’s leadership particularly in this time when we are confronted with extreme health crisis,” Roque said.
Meanwhile, Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo said in the Counterpoint program that under the Constitution, the President is compelled to update on his health status if he has a serious illness but if the grounds are without basis and pure speculation, an outright dismissal is possible. – Report from Mela Lesmoras
