Sara Duterte Posts Bail in Grave Threats Case

Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte posted bail at a Quezon City court after a warrant was issued over three counts of grave threats tied to her 2024 remarks that she had arranged to have President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., his wife and then-House Speaker Martin Romualdez killed if she were assassinated. The court found probable cause for trial and set bail at 120,000 pesos per count. Duterte’s lawyer said she voluntarily appeared and would pursue legal remedies; Duterte denies wrongdoing, saying her remarks were misconstrued, and has alleged police harassment and expressed fears for her safety and that of her children. The case, which could carry a sentence of up to six months in jail, is part of a broader political rift between the Marcos and Duterte camps and intersects with her Senate impeachment trial. Her allies called the warrant political persecution, while the Justice Department said the criminal case can proceed independently of the impeachment proceedings; an impeachment conviction could remove Duterte from office and bar her from politics, including a possible 2028 presidential bid.