A lawyer on Monday asked the Supreme Court to compel President Rodrigo Duterte to disclose the results of his medical and psychological exam results and other health records.
In an extremely urgent petition for mandamus, Lawyer Dino de Leon cited Duterte's "pallid condition" in his latest appearances, calling his statements "incoherent, unresponsive, and filled with unintelligible rumblings."
The mandamus petition is anchored on Section 12, Article VII of the 1987 Constitution, requiring the President to inform the public of the state of his health in case of serious illness.
A mandamus petition compels a tribunal, corporation, board, officer or person to perform a duty unlawfully neglected.
Named as respondents to the petition are Duterte himself and the Office of the President through Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea.
De Leon claims Duterte seems to be physically unwell and that his statements resemble those of a "drunken monologue."
"Do we still have a physically and mentally healthy President? Is he still the one making decisions to manage and put an end to the current crisis?" he asked in his petition.
The lawyer listed 21 occasions when the President begged off at the last minute, and five periods of prolonged absences from public view ranging from 5 to 7 days.
Saying he was "deeply worried" about Duterte's health, De Leon says he filed a freedom of information request with the Office of the President, but was denied.
De Leon also argues Duterte's previously disclosed illnesses are "serious." According to the lawyer, Duterte previously said he has Myasthenia Gravis, Buerger's Disease, Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD), Barrett's Esophagus aside from "spinal issues" and "daily migraines."
