A Manila trial court on Friday issued a warrant for the arrest of Vice President Sara Duterte in connection with a criminal case accusing her of making grave threats against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Luisa Marcos, and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez. The court set bail at 120,000 Philippine pesos (about $1,900) for each of the three counts.
Duterte’s lawyer responded that, “Regardless of the question on jurisdiction, she has no intention of evading the law and will continue to exercise all her legal remedies.” The remarks that sparked the case were made in November 2024, when Duterte claimed she had spoken with an assassin and instructed him to kill Marcos, his wife and his cousin—then the speaker of the Philippine House—if she were harmed. Duterte has denied that she threatened anyone.
The alleged threats are also part of the impeachment complaint currently pending against Duterte before the Senate, which is sitting as an impeachment court. A conviction could remove her from office and jeopardize her planned presidential run in 2028.
Additional allegations
Beyond the threat accusations, Duterte faces separate allegations of misusing public funds during her tenure as vice president and previously as education minister. She has denied any wrongdoing in those matters as well.
The case underscores the heightened political tensions in the Philippines as the nation approaches the 2028 presidential election, with Duterte positioning herself as a potential candidate while navigating legal challenges that could affect her eligibility.
($1 = 62.5890 Philippine pesos)
Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
