Despite the other day’s jumping jacks spectacle, a group of retired military and police officials has asked the Supreme Court (SC) to compel Malacañang to disclose the “true state” of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s health and to require him to undergo a hair follicle drug test.
In an urgent petition for mandamus, the group — calling itself the United People’s Initiative (UPI) — pointed out the Constitution imposes a mandatory duty on the government to inform the public if the President is suffering from a serious illness.
The petitioners, led by retired generals and police officers, named as respondents the Office of the Executive Secretary, the Presidential Communications Office, Radio Television Malacañang, and key executive branch officials.
UPI asked the High Court not only to order the full disclosure of the President’s physical and mental condition, but to mandate regular medical bulletins, especially in situations that could affect his ability to govern.
Fueling the petition were recent rumors and online claims about Marcos’s health, including alleged hospital visits and speculation that he was confined at St. Luke’s Medical Center.
While government channels released a video showing Marcos doing an exercise routine, aside from his appearances at public functions, the petitioners said the lack of a “clear confirmation or denial” has only deepened public uncertainty.
The group also pushed for a court-ordered hair follicle drug test, noting that it is the most reliable method for detecting long-term substance use and is necessary given the President’s vast powers as Commander-in-Chief.
At the core of the petition was a constitutional argument: that the public’s right to information, especially on the health of the head of state, demands transparency at the “highest level of public interest.”
Dispel doubts, Palace urged
UPI warned that any lingering doubts about the President’s fitness could undermine his governance, the public trust, and his decision-making on national security and the economy.
The SC has yet to act on the petition.
Facing the media, Marcos had asserted that he was in good health, pointing to his regular exercise routine and recent medical tests as proof of his fitness.
He dismissed claims he was ill or incapacitated as false and misleading, and challenged skeptics to join him in physical activity if they doubted his capabilities.
“This isn’t on tape. I am carrying my statement for this afternoon — that’s what I’m going to deliver… we’re going to talk about the excise tax. So, this has been done today,” the President told the Malacañang Press Corps.