MANILA, Philippines — Veronica “Kitty” Duterte has publicly thanked supporters of the Duterte family and called for accountability as her sister, Vice President Sara Duterte, faces multiple legal and political battles that have intensified in recent days.
Kitty’s message comes as Sara Duterte confronts a criminal case involving alleged grave threats, an ongoing impeachment trial in the Senate, and continuing political pressure surrounding her family’s legal battles.
The developments have placed the vice president at the center of one of the Philippines’ most closely watched political confrontations.
Kitty urges supporters to remain firm
In her latest message, Kitty expressed gratitude to those who continue to support the Duterte family despite the legal challenges facing her sister.
Her remarks come shortly after Sara Duterte herself addressed supporters, telling them not to worry or feel pressured by the impeachment proceedings and cases against her.
Sara said she had received a large number of messages of support, prayers and concern but could not personally respond to everyone. She also accused the Marcos administration of continuing what she described as political harassment.
The vice president urged her supporters to remain calm, saying the situation should not cause them unnecessary stress.
Sara Duterte’s legal troubles have sharply escalated
The latest developments follow a major escalation in Sara Duterte’s legal situation.
On September 4, a Quezon City Regional Trial Court issued a warrant for her arrest over three counts of grave threats involving President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Marcos and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez.
The allegations stem from remarks Duterte made during an online press conference in November 2024. She has denied threatening the three officials and has maintained that she will pursue all available legal remedies.
Duterte subsequently appeared before the court and posted P360,000 in total bail — P120,000 for each count.
The arrest order has added a criminal proceeding to an already complicated political battle surrounding the vice president.
Impeachment trial adds another layer
Sara Duterte is also facing an impeachment trial before the Senate.
The impeachment proceedings include allegations involving the supposed misuse or misappropriation of confidential funds, as well as the alleged threats against senior government officials.
The House prosecution recently made a significant move in the trial by dropping its remaining 15 witnesses for the first article and saying it intends to call Duterte herself to testify regarding the use of confidential funds.
House prosecutors have argued that evidence already presented establishes Duterte’s accountability for the alleged misuse of confidential funds. However, those are prosecution allegations and have not been established as final findings of criminal guilt.
That distinction is crucial as the impeachment trial continues.
Criminal case and impeachment are separate proceedings
Legal experts have also stressed that Sara Duterte’s criminal case and her impeachment trial are separate processes.
Former senator Franklin Drilon said the impeachment proceeding is a constitutional political process rather than a criminal trial. A conviction in the impeachment case could result in removal from office and perpetual disqualification from holding public office, while the criminal case before the regular courts concerns potential criminal liability.
The Supreme Court also previously dismissed Duterte’s petitions seeking to stop the impeachment proceedings, ruling in August that the issues raised had become moot because the Senate impeachment court had already begun hearing the case.
The political stakes extend to 2028
The controversy carries implications beyond Sara Duterte’s current position as vice president.
A conviction in the impeachment process could prevent her from holding public office in the future, potentially affecting her widely discussed political ambitions for the 2028 presidential election. International reporting has likewise identified the legal and impeachment proceedings as a major threat to those plans.
The conflict is particularly significant because the Marcos and Duterte political families were once electoral allies.
Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Sara Duterte ran together in the 2022 elections, winning the presidency and vice presidency by a wide margin. Their political alliance later fractured, turning the two families into increasingly prominent rivals ahead of the next presidential cycle.
Kitty’s message comes at a critical moment
For Kitty Duterte, the latest public message represents another appearance by a member of the Duterte family as supporters rally around Sara amid the growing legal pressure.
The family’s political supporters have repeatedly framed the cases against Duterte as politically motivated, while critics and government officials insist that she must answer to the courts and constitutional processes.
Former lawmakers have also called on Duterte to face accountability over the allegations against her, underscoring the sharply divided public reaction to the cases.
For now, Sara Duterte remains free on bail while defending herself in the grave-threats case and continues to face the Senate impeachment proceedings.
The legal battles are far from over.
And with the impeachment trial moving toward a potentially decisive stage, Kitty Duterte’s call for accountability and continued support comes as the Duterte family’s political fight enters one of its most consequential chapters yet.
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