Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte posted bail on Friday after a Quezon City court ordered her arrest on three counts of grave threats. The charges stem from a November 2024 press briefing where Duterte stated she had arranged for someone to assassinate President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, First Lady Liza Marcos, and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez if she were killed. Prosecutors treated these remarks as credible threats rather than hypothetical statements, prompting the Quezon City Regional Trial Court to set bail at 120,000 pesos for each count. Duterte appeared at the city’s Hall of Justice to post the amount and secure her release shortly after the warrant was issued.
Following her court appearance, Duterte released a statement saying she did not feel safe and feared for her life and her children’s safety, pointing to documented threats and harassment since 2023. The arrest order represents an escalation in her legal challenges, occurring as she faces an impeachment trial in the Philippine Senate over separate allegations of misconduct and misuse of public funds. Conviction in either the criminal case or the impeachment proceedings could remove her from office and derail her anticipated 2028 presidential bid.
The rift between Duterte and the Marcos administration has widened since their allied camps split following the 2022 election. Meanwhile, her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, remains in the custody of the International Criminal Court over allegations related to his government’s anti-drug campaign. Duterte’s supporters have characterized her prosecution as politically motivated, while Marcos administration allies maintain that her threats warranted formal legal action regardless of her position.