The Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) is asking the Supreme Court to throw out a petition seeking to force President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. to undergo hair follicle drug testing and other physical and mental exams.
Representing Marcos and Executive Secretary Ralph Recto, the OSG said there is no constitutional basis for the request and called it a “fishing expedition.”
It also cited presidential immunity, saying the sitting President cannot be sued or compelled by the courts to undergo such procedures while in office.
The OSG said the petitioners also have no legal standing, pointing out they failed to show any direct or personal injury from the issue.
It added that the Constitution’s provision on disclosure of serious illness does not require compulsory medical tests or the release of medical records.
The petition was filed by former Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez and others, who asked the High Court to order Marcos Jr. to undergo medical and psychological exams, including a hair follicle drug test, and make the results public.IMT
