Philippine court orders Vice President Sara Duterte's arrest on alleged threats
A Manila court ordered the arrest of Vice President Sara Duterte for allegedly threatening President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and others, a case that could affect her 2028 presidential ambitions.
Manila – A Quezon City Regional Trial Court ordered the arrest of Vice President Sara Duterte on Friday, citing charges that she publicly threatened to have President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., his wife and House Speaker Martin Romualdez assassinated. The alleged threat was made during a 2024 online news conference, where Duterte said she would order a killing if she were harmed, and later clarified that she was expressing concern for her own safety.
Duterte, who was impeached by the House of Representatives in May on the same accusations and on alleged financial irregularities, is expected to post bail while the case proceeds. "She has no intention of evading the law and will continue to exercise all her legal remedies," her lawyer Paul Lawrence Lim said in a statement.
If convicted, Duterte could be permanently barred from holding public office, which would prevent her from running for president when Marcos' term ends in 2028. The impeachment trial in the Senate, which began in July, continues alongside the criminal investigation.
The case unfolds amid a broader political rivalry between Duterte and President Marcos, whose administrations differ on foreign policy and defense matters, particularly regarding relations with the United States and China.