QUEZON CITY, Philippines — Police were deployed to the Quezon City Hall of Justice early Saturday following the issuance of an arrest warrant against Vice President Sara Duterte, adding another dramatic turn to the high-stakes legal and political battle surrounding the country’s second-highest elected official.
Members of the Philippine National Police (PNP) arrived at the courthouse after building security requested additional personnel, according to a GMA News report published Saturday morning. Police officers said they had no information yet on when Duterte would post bail.
The heightened security came a day after Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 98 issued a warrant for Duterte’s arrest over three counts of grave threats.
The court said it found probable cause to hold Duterte for trial after considering the evidence and arguments presented by both sides. Bail was set at P120,000 for each count, or P360,000 for all three charges.
Why was an arrest warrant issued?
The criminal case stems from Duterte’s controversial remarks during an online press briefing on November 23, 2024.
During that briefing, Duterte said she had spoken with someone and instructed that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos and then-House Speaker Martin Romualdez be killed if she herself were killed.
Duterte later rejected the characterization of her remarks as a threat, saying they had been taken out of context and that she was discussing concerns over her own security.
The Department of Justice subsequently filed three counts of grave threats against the Vice President.
The court’s latest action means the criminal case can proceed to trial; it does not amount to a finding that Duterte is guilty of the charges.
Duterte says she will face the case
Duterte’s lawyer, Paul Lawrence Lim, said the Vice President has no intention of evading the law and will continue pursuing available legal remedies.
Her legal team had challenged the criminal proceedings on jurisdictional grounds, arguing that an impeachable official such as the Vice President has protection from criminal proceedings while in office.
The QC court rejected that argument and denied Duterte’s motion to defer or recall the warrant, according to the DOJ.
Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla later said Duterte’s lawyers had received the warrant and intended to post bail as soon as possible.
Can a sitting Vice President be arrested?
That question has become one of the central legal issues following Friday’s development.
University of the Philippines College of Law Assistant Dean and constitutional law professor Paolo Emmanuel Tamase told the Inquirer that the Constitution does not grant the Vice President the same immunity from suit enjoyed by the President.
He also distinguished impeachability from immunity, explaining that impeachment concerns the constitutional mechanism for removing certain public officials, while a criminal case seeks to determine accountability for an alleged criminal offense.
The issue is particularly significant because Duterte is simultaneously facing an impeachment trial before the Senate.
The arrest warrant and the impeachment trial are separate
The alleged threats against Marcos, his wife and Romualdez are also among the accusations contained in Duterte’s impeachment case.
However, the criminal prosecution and impeachment proceedings are separate legal processes.
Reuters reported that a conviction in the impeachment case could remove Duterte from office and affect her reported plans to seek the presidency in 2028.
The Associated Press likewise reported that Duterte was impeached by the House of Representatives in May over allegations that included the threats and alleged financial irregularities. Her impeachment trial before the Senate began in July.
What happens after the warrant?
Duterte did not appear at the QC RTC on Friday after the warrant was issued.
GMA News reported that additional police personnel were deployed to the courthouse, while a backdrop reportedly used for taking mugshots was brought inside the facility in anticipation of a possible appearance. Additional personnel later left the premises that evening.
The situation remained unresolved early Saturday, with police saying they had not been informed when Duterte would post bail. GMA also noted that courts generally follow a standard weekday operating schedule, while NBI Director Melvin Matibag separately said the court could process a bail application on a Saturday based on a Supreme Court directive.
Importantly, the issuance of the warrant does not automatically mean Duterte will remain in jail. Because the charges are bailable, she can seek release after complying with the court’s requirements.
Palace respects court ruling
Malacañang said it respects the Quezon City court’s decision to issue the arrest warrant.
The DOJ likewise said it respects the ruling and reiterated its commitment to the rule of law after the court found probable cause to proceed against Duterte on all three counts.
The development nevertheless deepens an already extraordinary political confrontation between the Marcos and Duterte camps.
Once political allies who ran together in the 2022 elections, Marcos and Duterte have since become bitter political rivals. The Vice President’s legal battles now extend across both the criminal courts and the Senate impeachment proceedings, making the next steps in the QC case potentially consequential far beyond the courtroom.
For now, the immediate question is no longer whether a warrant exists—it does. The question is what Duterte and her lawyers will do next, and how the arrest warrant will affect the parallel impeachment battle unfolding in the Senate.
WWC ONE MEDIA J.M.S
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