Court defers VP Sara Duterte's arraignment on grave threats charges

MANILA — A Quezon City court on Friday postponed the arraignment of Vice President Sara Duterte on three counts of grave threats, granting a defense motion to halt proceedings while judges review her camp’s latest legal challenges.  

Duterte, 48, arrived at the Quezon City Hall of Justice around 8:30 a.m. accompanied by her brother, Rep. Paolo Duterte. 

She briefly acknowledged supporters gathered outside the courthouse before entering the courtroom of Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 98, leaving the premises shortly after 9:00 a.m.  

Outside the court, defense counsel Atty. Paul Lawrence Lim confirmed that the court had granted their request to defer the proceeding. 

In a message to Reuters, Lim added that Duterte did not enter a plea as the court considers their motion.Lim declined to elaborate on the exact substance of the filing, citing its sensitive nature and judicial courtesy.

"Hindi ko masasabi po 'yung nature ng motion. Pero kabilang na doon sa mga hinihingi namin 'yung ipagpaliban muna or i-defer 'yung kanyang arraignment habang pinag-aaralan ng huwes 'yung motion. So pinagbigyan naman niya 'yung pag-defer," Lim told reporters. 

(“I cannot disclose the exact nature of the motion. But part of what we requested was to postpone or defer her arraignment while the judge reviews it. The judge granted that deferment.”)

Supreme Court Petitions and High-Stakes Battle

The deferment is the latest salvo in a escalating legal fight that could carry significant political consequences, potentially threatening Duterte's prospective campaign for the presidency in 2028.

Duterte’s defense team has repeatedly sought intervention from higher courts to throw out the cases. 

On Aug. 21, her camp petitioned the Supreme Court for a writ of certiorari and prohibition to quash the charges filed in the trial court. 

On Sept. 4, her lawyers separately asked the high court to recall the arrest warrants issued against her.

They followed up on Thursday with an urgent motion pressuring the Supreme Court to immediately act on her application for a temporary restraining order (TRO) to halt the trial court proceedings altogether.

Background of the Case

The Department of Justice filed the criminal charges on Aug. 11, stemming from comments Duterte made during an online press conference in late 2024. During the broadcast, Duterte stated she had instructed an assassin to kill President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez in the event that she herself were killed.

Duterte—the daughter of former President Rodrigo Duterte—has denied making actionable threats, maintaining her comments were taken out of logical context. 

f convicted, she faces up to six months in prison per count, along with potential disqualification from holding public office.  

The QC RTC issued an arrest warrant on Sept. 4 after finding probable cause. Duterte posted a total of ₱360,000 in bail (₱120,000 per count) the following day to maintain her provisional liberty.  

The criminal case unfolds alongside a separate impeachment trial against Duterte in the Senate, where lawmakers sitting as jurors are evaluating articles of impeachment that also cite the 2024 threat allegations.

-Paraluman News, Reuters