Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte posted bail on Saturday after a Quezon City court issued an arrest warrant over three counts of grave threats. The case stems from remarks she made during an online press conference in November 2024, when she allegedly said an assassin had been instructed to target President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez if she were killed.
Duterte Posts Bail After Court Order
Duterte appeared at the Quezon City Regional Trial Court on Saturday and complied with the legal process following the arrest order issued the previous day.
Her lawyer, Paul Lawrence Lim, said the vice president had no intention of avoiding the legal proceedings and would continue using the remedies available to her under Philippine law.
The court had set bail at 120,000 Philippine pesos for each of the three charges, bringing the total bail amount to 360,000 pesos, or roughly $5,740.
After posting bail, the court lifted the arrest warrant. Duterte continued to deny the allegations and expressed concerns about her safety, saying she had faced what she described as harassment from authorities.
Case Linked to 2024 Online Remarks
The criminal case relates to statements Duterte made during an online news conference in November 2024. During the event, she discussed threats to her own security and said that if she were killed, she had instructed someone to kill Marcos, his wife and Romualdez.
The remarks triggered a criminal investigation and became a major issue in the country’s political dispute involving the Marcos and Duterte camps.
A Quezon City court later determined that there was probable cause to proceed with the three grave threats charges. Duterte’s legal team had sought to prevent or overturn the arrest order, but the court rejected those efforts.
The Department of Justice has maintained that the criminal case can proceed and that the vice president does not have the same immunity from prosecution that applies to the president.
Legal Case Adds Pressure Ahead of 2028
The arrest warrant comes as Duterte faces a separate impeachment trial in the Philippine Senate. The House of Representatives impeached her in May over allegations that include misuse of confidential funds and the controversial threats against Marcos and others.
The criminal proceedings and impeachment process are legally separate, although both could have major consequences for Duterte’s political future.
A conviction in the grave threats case could affect her ability to hold public office and potentially complicate her reported ambitions to seek the Philippine presidency in 2028.
The latest legal development also highlights the sharp breakdown in relations between Marcos and Duterte. The two political figures ran together in the 2022 elections and won by a wide margin, but their alliance later deteriorated amid disputes over domestic politics, investigations and foreign policy.
Duterte has also strongly criticized the Marcos administration over the handling of her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, who is facing proceedings before the International Criminal Court over alleged crimes against humanity linked to his administration’s anti-drug campaign.
