MANILA, Philippines — Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will comply with an order from the Supreme Court of the Philippines to submit a comment on a petition seeking a hair follicle drug test and other medical examinations, Malacañang said Thursday.
Palace press officer Claire Castro said the administration would prepare its response after the high court directed the president to address the petition. She made the statement during a press briefing.
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 court to compel Marcos to undergo physical and mental examinations, including a drug test, citing what they described as signs of a worsening health condition.
Ralph Recto was also named as a respondent in the case.
Submitting a comment requires respondents to answer the allegations raised in the petition.
In a separate briefing on April 15, Castro said Marcos did not need to undergo a hair follicle test, citing a prior Supreme Court ruling that a sitting president cannot be compelled to disclose medical records based on unsupported claims.
The statement responded to another petition filed by the United People’s Initiative, which also asked the court to require Marcos to take a hair follicle drug test.
Castro added that the court had previously dismissed a petition seeking the disclosure of the health records of former president Rodrigo Duterte.