President Bongbong Marcos will comply with a Supreme Court directive requiring him to respond to a petition seeking the disclosure of his medical examination report, Malacañang said Thursday.
The Supreme Court ordered Marcos and Executive Secretary Ralph Recto to file their comment within a nonextendible period of 10 days from receipt of notice. The directive came after the tribunal acted on a petition for a writ of mandamus filed by former House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, along with Virgilio Garcia, Juan Raña and Raymundo Junia, asking the court to require the president to undergo physical and mental examinations, including a hair follicle drug test, and to disclose the results.
Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro said the administration will comply with the order. “Kung utos po ng Supreme Court iyan ay gagampanan po, gagawa po ng comment,” Castro said in a press briefing.
Petitioners argued that the president’s health is a matter of public concern and cited constitutional provisions on the right to information and disclosure in cases of serious illness.
Marcos has denied claims about his health and maintained that he is fit to perform his duties. Malacañang also cited existing Supreme Court rulings stating that a sitting president cannot be compelled to disclose medical records without sufficient legal basis.
The Supreme Court has not yet ruled on whether it will give due course to the petition. The order for comment marks the first step in the proceedings, with Marcos now formally required to respond under the court’s directive.
