QC Court issues arrest warrant vs. VP Sara Duterte over grave threats

MANILA — A Quezon City Regional Trial Court has issued a warrant of arrest against Vice President Sara Duterte over the charges of grave threats that she allegedly made against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and his family, her defense counsel confirmed.

In a statement issued on Friday, September 4, 2026, defense lawyer Paul Lawrence Lim reaffirmed that the Vice President intends to address the court order directly while pursuing available legal avenues.

“Regardless of the question on jurisdiction, she has no intention of evading the law and will continue to exercise all her legal remedies,” Lim said.

Jurisdiction and Impeachment Defense

The Vice President’s legal team previously moved to dismiss and quash the criminal charges, arguing that the court lacks jurisdiction over a sitting impeachable official. 

 “Ang sa 'ming pananaw kasi ‘yung ating bise presidente ay isang impeachable officer. Sa Constitution kasi may tinatawag na opisyal na pwede lamang matanggal sa kanilang posisyon sa pamamanagitan ng impeachment,” Lim previously stated. 

(“In our view, the Vice President is an impeachable officer. Under the Constitution, there are officials who can only be removed from office through impeachment.”)  

“Dahil sila ay impeachable officer, hindi dapat sila kinakakasuhan ng kasong kriminal katulad ng sinampa sa ating bise presidente,” he added, emphasizing that an impeachable official should not face active criminal prosecution while in office.  

The criminal case—filed by the Department of Justice (DOJ) following a complaint by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI)—stems from statements Duterte made during an online press briefing in November 2024.

During the conference, Duterte stated that she had contracted an assassin to target President Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and then-House Speaker Martin Romualdez in the event that she herself were killed. Duterte has since maintained that her remarks were taken out of context.  

Parallel Senate Impeachment Trial

The grave threats charge also forms Article IV of the articles of impeachment currently being tried against Duterte in the Senate impeachment court. 

Alongside the alleged death threats, the Vice President faces impeachment counts regarding the alleged misuse of confidential funds, bribery, and unexplained wealth.  

Court prosecutors have recommended bail set at ₱120,000 for her temporary liberty should she choose to post bail while the criminal case proceeds.