MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Sara Duterte’s highly anticipated arraignment on three counts of grave threats was deferred Friday, September 11, after her legal team asked the Quezon City Regional Trial Court to postpone the proceedings.
The development immediately shifted attention from the courtroom to the political arena as Duterte emerged from the Quezon City Hall of Justice and delivered another fiery attack against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., calling for his resignation and accusing his administration of abuse, corruption and political harassment.
Duterte’s lawyer, Paul Lawrence Lim, confirmed that the defense filed a motion seeking to defer the arraignment. The court granted the request and directed the Department of Justice to comment before it decides on the pending motion.
Because of the postponement, Duterte has not yet entered a plea to the charges.
The DOJ said it would respect the court’s decision and allow the judicial process to proceed.
“The DOJ respects the court’s decision to defer the arraignment pending resolution of the motion filed by the defense,” DOJ spokesperson Polo Martinez said.
From courtroom battle to political showdown
After leaving the court, Duterte turned her attention to Marcos and told supporters that the President should step down.
She accused Marcos of causing hardship for Filipinos and repeated her characterization of him as an abusive and corrupt leader. She also used the word “addict” in attacking the President, echoing language she and her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, have previously used against Marcos.
The latest confrontation underscores how the criminal case has become intertwined with the increasingly bitter political rupture between the Marcos and Duterte camps.
The two political families joined forces in the 2022 elections, but their alliance eventually collapsed, producing one of the country’s most consequential political conflicts in recent years.
What is the case against Sara Duterte?
The criminal case stems from Duterte’s controversial online press conference on November 23, 2024.
During that briefing, Duterte said she had arranged for someone to kill Marcos, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos and then-House Speaker Martin Romualdez if she herself were killed.
Duterte has denied that she made an actual assassination threat and has argued that her remarks were taken out of context.
The Department of Justice subsequently pursued the case, resulting in three counts of grave threats.
On September 4, Quezon City RTC Branch 98 found probable cause to proceed with the charges and issued a warrant for Duterte’s arrest. Bail was set at ₱120,000 for each count, or ₱360,000 in total.
Duterte posted bail the following day.
Duterte challenges the case before the Supreme Court
But the legal fight is no longer confined to the Quezon City trial court.
Duterte’s lawyers have separately gone to the Supreme Court, filing a petition for certiorari and prohibition that challenges the prosecution and the trial court’s jurisdiction.
Her camp argues that, as an incumbent impeachable official, Duterte enjoys constitutional protection that should prevent the criminal proceedings from continuing while she remains vice president.
The Supreme Court petition also seeks to stop the criminal proceedings while the constitutional and jurisdictional questions are being considered.
The government, meanwhile, has maintained that presidential immunity does not extend to the vice president. The DOJ has also emphasized that it will follow the courts’ rulings.
The bigger political stakes
The grave-threat case comes as Duterte faces an even broader political battle.
She is currently facing an impeachment trial before the Senate, meaning the criminal proceedings and impeachment case are unfolding simultaneously.
The combination of the cases could have major implications for Duterte’s political future, particularly her reported ambitions for the 2028 presidential election. International reports have noted that a conviction in the grave-threat case, alongside an impeachment conviction, could significantly affect her political prospects.
For now, however, the September 11 development means the criminal case has not reached the plea stage.
Duterte walked out of the courthouse without entering a plea—and immediately returned to the political battlefield.
And with her Supreme Court challenge still pending, the next major confrontation may not happen inside the Quezon City courtroom at all, but before the country’s highest court.
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