Palace Press Officer and Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro said the decision to exempt Vice President Sara Duterte from having her mugshot taken during her appearance before the Quezon City Regional Trial Court on Saturday was in accordance with court rules.

Castro said defendants who voluntarily go directly to court and post a cash bail are not required to undergo the usual mugshot procedure at a police station.

“In cases where you go directly to the court and post a cash bond, once all the requirements have been submitted — including photographs, a sketch of your residence, the address and barangay certificate — there is no longer a requirement to go to a police station for the usual mugshot,” she said.

Castro declined to say, however, if the Palace considered the arrangement a form of special treatment for Duterte.

Duterte’s lawyer, Paul Lawrence Lim, on Monday likewise said the Vice President did not need to have her mugshot taken because she voluntarily submitted herself to the court to post bail.

“A mugshot is taken only when an accused is arrested. What happened to the Vice President on Saturday was that there was no arrest because she went to court to voluntarily submit herself and post bail,” Lim said.

On the red carpet rolled out by the Quezon City court for Duterte, Castro said the Palace had nothing to do with it.

“As for the red carpet — literally a red carpet prepared by the court — we have nothing to say about the court’s reasons for doing so. That is no longer within the executive branch’s jurisdiction. Whatever procedures they choose to undertake in their court is up to them,” she said.