Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte posted bail at a Manila courthouse on 5th September, a day after an arrest warrant was issued over alleged death threats against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
The Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 98 issued the warrant on 4th September after finding probable cause to hold Duterte for trial on three counts of grave threats. Bail was set at 120,000 pesos for each count, for a total cash bond of 360,000 pesos.
The charges stem from remarks Duterte made during an online press conference in November 2024. She said she had arranged for an assassin to kill Marcos Jr, his wife, First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos, and then House Speaker Martin Romualdez, the president’s cousin, if she were killed herself.
Duterte later said her comments had been misconstrued and taken out of context. She has maintained that they reflected concerns for her own safety amid a deepening political rift with the Marcos administration.
“The vice president voluntarily appeared before the court that issued the warrant, so there was no need for her to be arrested,” her lawyer Lawrence Lim said after Duterte emerged from the regional courthouse holding a court order confirming that she had posted a cash bond.
Duterte appeared voluntarily at the Quezon City Hall of Justice on Saturday morning, accompanied by lawyers including Lim. She completed the necessary procedures, after which the arrest warrant was lifted.
Before entering the courthouse, Duterte told reporters she feared for her life.
“I don’t want to (post bail) if no one is watching,” Duterte said, claiming to be the victim of police harassment.
“Will they throw me into the (jail) and then one night I die in my sleep?” Duterte said.
Supporters gathered outside the court as Duterte left. She has repeatedly expressed fears for her personal safety and that of her children, citing documented threats and harassment dating back to 2023. She has said she does not feel safe in the presence of police and does not trust the court or law enforcement in the current climate.
Duterte’s legal team issued a statement on 4th September saying she had “no intention of evading the law and will continue to exercise all her legal remedies”.
The court rejected a motion by her lawyers to defer or recall the arrest warrant and quash the information. The warrant was served at the Office of the Vice President.
Under Philippine law, a conviction on the grave threats charges carries a jail term of up to six months.
The criminal case is proceeding separately from Duterte’s Senate impeachment proceedings. Justice department officials have rejected her lawyers’ argument that she cannot be prosecuted for offences that are also connected to her impeachment.
Duterte was impeached in May by the House of Representatives, the lower chamber of Parliament, on charges that also included graft and corruption. Her Senate impeachment trial has now concluded its ninth week.
A guilty verdict would remove Duterte from office and permanently bar her from holding public office. It would also end her planned campaign for president in 2028. Duterte first announced her candidacy in February.
The alleged assassination threat is a crucial element of the impeachment proceedings. Legal experts have said that a sitting vice president is not immune from ordinary criminal prosecution for offences outside the specific scope of the impeachment articles, although Duterte’s legal team continues to contest the court’s jurisdiction.
The legal proceedings come amid an intensifying political rivalry between Duterte and Marcos following the collapse of their earlier alliance.
Duterte’s father, former president Rodrigo Duterte, remains a polarising figure in Philippine politics, while the current legal battles form part of a broader contest over the 2028 presidential succession. Marcos is limited to a single six-year term.
The Department of Justice has reaffirmed that the criminal process will continue independently and said authorities remain committed to the rule of law. Duterte’s camp has indicated that it will pursue all available legal remedies while cooperating with the court.
The criminal case is expected to move towards trial in the coming weeks as the impeachment proceedings continue in the Senate.
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