By Darryl John Esguerra | Philippine News Agency
Malacañang on Thursday said it will comply with the directive of the Supreme Court requiring President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and Executive Secretary Ralph Recto to comment on a petition seeking the disclosure of the Chief Executive’s medical examination report, including a hair follicle drug test.
Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said Malacañang would submit its response in accordance with the High Court’s order.
“Kung utos po ng Supreme Court iyan ay gagampanan po, gagawa po ng comment,” Castro said in a press briefing.
The Supreme Court en banc earlier directed Marcos and Recto to file their comment within a non-extendible period of 10 days from receipt of notice, without necessarily giving due course to the petition at this stage.
The petition for mandamus, dated April 15, was filed by former House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez along with Virgilio Garcia, Juan Raña, and Raymundo Junia.
The petitioners asked the High Court to compel the President to undergo physical and mental examinations, including a hair follicle test, and to disclose the results to the public, citing what they described as longstanding but unsubstantiated allegations of drug use and concerns over his fitness for office.
The directive comes days after Marcos publicly dismissed rumors about his health and participated in media-covered physical activities, including jogging and jumping jacks, within the Palace grounds.
Malacañang had earlier maintained that there is no legal basis to compel the President to disclose medical records absent proof of serious illness, citing previous Supreme Court jurisprudence on the matter.
