Kapunan: Pursuing grave threat issue vs VP might have diverted trial

MANILA, Philippines — The grave threats impeachment article filed against Vice President Sara Z. Duterte could have diverted attention away from the charges against her, as it would have allowed her to revisit allegations involving threats to her own life — thus prolonging the trial.

That was the reason the prosecution dropped the fourth impeachment article, along with the fact that separate criminal charges for the same issue had already been filed against the vice president before Branch 98 of the Quezon City Regional Trial Court.

Private prosecutor Lorna Kapunan explained this to anchor Pinky Webb on Tuesday during her show, “On Point,” on Bilyonaryo News Channel.

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“Now, assessing that and how it is moving forward, we did not want to open the door to her again telling her own narrative, prolonging resolution on this article,” Kapunan said.

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READ: ‘Sara Duterte’s criminal case no effect on impeachment trial’

Webb had asked Kapunan why the prosecution withdrew the grave threats charge despite previously expressing confidence that the evidence was sufficient.

The allegations arose from Duterte’s November 2024 online media conference remarks that she had already asked someone to kill President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., first lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and then-House Speaker Martin Romualdez to be killed if she herself were assassinated.

Kapunan stressed that the criminal case and the Senate impeachment trial have different purposes, which would still allow the grave threats allegations to continue before a regular court despite being withdrawn from the impeachment court.

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The Quezon City RTC issued a warrant for Duterte’s arrest on Sept. 4 after finding probable cause to proceed with three counts of grave threats, for which the vice president posted bail while challenging the proceedings through her lawyers.

Kapunan explained that the criminal investigation had already been moving through the appropriate legal process while the Senate was separately considering the grave threats allegations as part of the impeachment complaint.

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The private prosecutor also referred to the prosecution’s evidence concerning Duterte’s reported possession of firearms, which had emerged during the unexplained wealth hearings alongside questions about her security arrangements.

“At least 51 firearms,” Kapunan said, referring to the number of firearms identified in the prosecution’s evidence.

READ: VP Sara Duterte seeks TRO on grave threats case

The prosecution had earlier questioned the ownership and disclosure of those firearms as part of the second impeachment article, while Duterte maintained that she had faced threats to her safety and disputed allegations concerning the circumstances of her security protection.

“Anyway, to your point, why did— why did we drop? Because there is a pending case already for grave threats,” Kapunan explained.

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With the fourth impeachment article removed from the impeachment proceedings, the prosecution intends to concentrate on the financial allegations under the second article. /atm