Overview
- A Quezon City trial court on Friday issued an arrest warrant charging Vice President Sara Duterte with three counts of "grave threats" tied to her November 2024 remarks about an assassin.
- The court set bail at 120,000 pesos (about $1,900) for each count, creating a clear path for release while the case proceeds.
- Duterte voluntarily appeared and posted bail on Saturday and has denied any intent to threaten the president, saying her comments were expressions of fear for her safety.
- The Justice Department confirmed the warrant and rejected arguments that the criminal case must be put on hold because the same conduct is being examined in the Senate impeachment trial.
- Legal experts expect Duterte’s lawyers to seek higher-court remedies while the Senate trial continues, and observers say a criminal conviction would carry up to six months in jail but a guilty impeachment verdict could remove her from office and bar a 2028 presidential run.