This part of Associate Justice Antonio Carpio’s dissenting opinion is the whole point of the issue whether Romulo Neri’s invocation of executive privilege upholds or hampers the search for truth and rule of law:
“Executive privilege must be exercised by the President in pursuance of official powers and functions. Executive privilege cannot be invoked to hide a crime because the President is neither empowered nor tasked to conceal a crime. On the contrary, the President has the constitutional duty to enforce criminal laws and cause the prosecution of crimes.