Sara Duterte posts bail for grave threats case

POSTING BAIL. Vice President Sara Duterte, along with legal counsels, arrives at the Quezon City Regional Trial Court, following the issuance of an arrest warrant against her over a grave threats case, on September 5, 2026.

Jire Carreon/Rappler

The Vice President posts bail a day after a Quezon City court issued warrants for her arrest over three counts of grave threats

AT A GLANCE

• Vice President Sara Duterte posted bail of P360,000 after being charged with three counts of grave threats related to alleged assassination threats against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and others.
• The Quezon City Regional Trial Court issued warrants for her arrest, which were upheld despite her legal team's arguments regarding her status as an impeachable official.
• Duterte expressed concerns for her safety and that of her children, citing documented threats and harassment since 2023.

This is AI-generated. Read the article for full context. Report any errors.

MANILA, Philippines – Vice President Sara Duterte posted bail on Saturday, September 5, in connection with the three counts of grave threats filed against her over her alleged assassination threats against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Marcos, and former House speaker Martin Romualdez.

Her lawyer, Paul Lawrence Lim, confirmed that Duterte posted P120,000 bail for each count of grave threats before Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 98.

Lim said Duterte underwent booking process inside the court, which includes taking of her fingerprints.

“Kailangan pa rin (It’s necessary)…. [She did the booking process] in front of court staff,” Lim told reporters outside the court.

Duterte’s impeachment lawyer and spokesperson Michael Poa was also present in court with Duterte and Lim.

Before entering the hall, Duterte talked to journalists where she aired concerns over her security.

“I have documented threats and harassment since 2023. I fear for my children. I do not feel they are safe if I am with them. Umalis na nga ako kung nasaan mga anak ko para pumunta sa korte pero pumunta pa rin ang pulis. I do not feel safe. Pakiramdam ko papatayin nila ako,” Duterte said in a statement.

(I left the place where my children are to go to the court but the police still came… I feel like they will kill me.)

On September 4, the court issued a warrant after it found probable cause to hold Duterte for trial. It also denied her motion to defer or recall the warrants and quash the information for lack of merit.

Duterte’s camp had argued that she could not face a criminal case while serving as Vice President because she is an impeachable official. Several legal experts, however, have said that unlike the President, the Vice President is not immune from suit.

The Department of Justice filed the three counts of grave threats in August following complaints from the National Bureau of Investigation over Duterte’s November 23, 2024, midnight press conference.

During that press conference, Duterte said she had already talked to someone who would kill Marcos, his wife, and Romualdez if she herself were killed. Duterte said at the time that she was not joking. – Rappler.com