Sara Duterte moves to quash grave threats charge

In this photo uploaded on Facebook on July 10, 2026 shows Vice President Sara Duterte during her visit to Miarayon Central Elementary School for the Balik Eskwela program in Miarayon, Talakag, Bukidnon.

Vice President Sara Duterte via Facebook

MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Sara Duterte has filed a motion to quash the information before a Quezon City court in connection with the grave threats charge against her.

In a press conference on Thursday, August 13, Prosecutor General Richard Fadullon said the prosecution was given five days by the court to file a comment.

“On the matter of the details pertaining to the case itself, it will all depend on how the court will resolve the motion,” Fadullon said.

Lawyer Paul Lawrence Lim, counsel for Duterte, confirmed the filing of the motion to quash before the Quezon City court.

However, he declined to give further details on the motion, citing the sub judice rule.

A motion to quash is filed by an accused before he or she enters a plea. Supreme Court decisions describe the said motion as a “cure for defective indictments.”

The complaint against Duterte was filed by prosecutors on August 11.

This stems from a complaint filed by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) against Duterte before the Department of Justice in February 2025.

This is in connection with press conferences held by the vice president in October and December 2024, during which she threatened President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

In the December 2024 Zoom press conference, Duterte threatened President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez.