Philippine court issues arrest warrant for Vice President Sara Duterte

MANILA, Sep 4: A Philippine court has issued an arrest warrant for Vice President Sara Duterte over three alleged grave threat charges linked to remarks she made about the possible assassination of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the first lady and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez.

Duterte’s lawyer, Paul Lawrence Lim, said the vice president would “not evade” the law and would continue pursuing available legal remedies. The Quezon City Regional Trial Court set bail at 120,000 pesos ($1,900) for each charge.

The Department of Justice filed the cases over Duterte’s remarks during an online news conference in November 2024, when she said Marcos, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos and Romualdez would be assassinated if she herself were killed.

Marcos’ office said it respected the court’s decision and any directives issued by it.

Duterte, 48, is also facing an impeachment trial in parliament. The daughter of former President Rodrigo Duterte, she was elected vice president alongside Marcos in 2022 for a six-year term.

Before becoming vice president, Duterte served as vice mayor and later mayor of Davao City, where she won mayoral elections in 2010, 2016 and 2019.