MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Sara Duterte posted ₱360,000 in bail on Saturday after a Quezon City court issued an arrest warrant against her over three counts of grave threats involving President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez.
The bail amounted to ₱120,000 for each of the three counts, according to the Quezon City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 98. The court had found probable cause to hold Duterte for trial.
Duterte’s bail posting came a day after Judge Maria Angelica P. de Ramos issued the warrant on September 4.
Her appearance at the Quezon City Hall of Justice marked a dramatic new phase in a case that has now unfolded alongside her ongoing impeachment proceedings before the Senate.
Duterte enters court after expressing safety concerns
Duterte’s lawyer Michael Poa said Saturday that the Vice President was considered to have surrendered to authorities as she went through the process of posting bail.
Duterte had initially expressed reluctance about entering the Hall of Justice, telling reporters that she did not feel safe.
She said she had documented threats and harassment dating back to 2023 and expressed concern for the safety of her children.
Police had increased security around the courthouse following the issuance of the arrest warrant, with authorities also preparing for standard procedures connected with the case.
What is the grave threats case about?
The criminal case traces back to Duterte’s remarks during an online press conference in November 2024.
During the briefing, she said she had instructed an individual to kill Marcos, his wife and then-House Speaker Romualdez if she herself were killed.
Duterte has repeatedly disputed the characterization of her remarks as an actual threat, saying they had been taken out of their logical context and that she was highlighting concerns about her own security.
The Department of Justice subsequently pursued criminal charges. The three counts were filed in relation to Section 6 of Republic Act No. 10175, the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012.
Court rejects Duterte’s bid to stop the case
Before the arrest warrant was issued, Duterte’s legal team challenged the case, arguing that the court lacked jurisdiction and raising constitutional questions concerning the prosecution of an impeachable official while she remains in office.
The QC RTC ultimately rejected her attempt to have the proceedings halted and found probable cause to proceed with all three charges.
Her lawyer Paul Lawrence Lim said Duterte had no intention of evading the law and would continue to pursue all legal remedies available to her.
Bail does not mean the case is over
The posting of bail allows Duterte to remain free while the criminal case proceeds. It does not amount to a finding of guilt or innocence.
The court’s finding of probable cause means the criminal case can proceed to trial; the question of Duterte’s ultimate criminal liability remains for the judicial process to determine.
This distinction is important as the case has generated intense political reaction.
Arrest case overlaps with impeachment proceedings
The allegations at the center of the criminal case are also part of the accusations being examined in Duterte’s ongoing Senate impeachment trial.
Reuters reported that the threats allegations form part of the impeachment complaint against Duterte, while she also faces accusations involving alleged misuse of public funds. Duterte has denied wrongdoing.
The simultaneous proceedings have prompted questions about whether the criminal case and impeachment process can proceed independently.
The Department of Justice has maintained that the criminal proceedings should not be stopped simply because an impeachment case is underway. The defense, meanwhile, has raised constitutional and jurisdictional arguments that the courts will have to address.
Bong Go questions timing of arrest warrant
The timing of the warrant has also become a political flashpoint.
Senator Bong Go, a Duterte ally and member of the Senate impeachment court, questioned why the warrant was issued at this stage, given that the alleged remarks date back nearly two years and the impeachment proceedings are already underway.
Go said the timing raised questions but acknowledged that the criminal case and impeachment proceedings are separate processes.
Malacañang, for its part, said it respects the court’s decision.
A potentially consequential legal battle
The case is significant not only because it involves a sitting Vice President but also because of its potential political consequences.
Duterte is already undergoing impeachment proceedings in the Senate. At the same time, the criminal case over the alleged threats now moves forward in the regular courts.
Reuters reported that a conviction in the impeachment proceedings could remove Duterte from office and affect her political plans, including a possible 2028 presidential bid.
For now, however, Duterte remains presumed innocent in the criminal case.
Her ₱360,000 bail means the immediate issue of detention has been addressed—but the much bigger legal and political fight surrounding the allegations is only moving into its next stage.
And with the criminal case now proceeding while the impeachment trial continues, the next court and Senate developments could determine just how far this political showdown goes.
WWC ONE MEDIA M.J.E
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