Philippine Vice-President Sara Duterte has posted bail after a Quezon City court issued a warrant for her arrest over three counts of grave threats linked to remarks about President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, his wife and a former House speaker.
Duterte paid 360,000 pesos (£4,900) in total bail at the Quezon City Regional Trial Court on Saturday, after the court set bail at 120,000 pesos for each charge.
The warrant was issued on Friday after Branch 98 found probable cause to proceed with a trial. The Department of Justice said it respected the ruling and remained committed to the rule of law.
Duterte, who denies the allegations, arrived at the court surrounded by police officers and supporters. After posting bail, she said she feared for her safety and accused authorities of harassing her.
“If I post bail, the harassment won’t stop,” she told reporters. “If I don’t post bail, I’ll be taken to the police. I have no trust in the police. I have no trust in the courts. I do not feel safe at all.”
She also questioned who would be held responsible if she died, saying police would be able to dismiss her death as an accident.
Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla said officers had treated Duterte with the respect expected of a vice-president. He added that the pressure surrounding her legal and political difficulties appeared to be affecting her perception of events.
The case stems from an online press conference in November 2024, during which Duterte said she had spoken to an assassin and instructed him to kill Marcos, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos and then-House Speaker Martin Romualdez if she were killed.
Duterte has said her remarks were taken out of context and that she was referring to an alleged threat against her own life rather than making a genuine threat against the president and the others.
Her lawyer, Paul Lawrence Lim, said she had no intention of evading the law and would continue to pursue all available legal remedies.
The criminal case adds to an impeachment battle in the Philippine Senate, where Duterte faces accusations including the misuse of public funds during her time as vice-president and education secretary. A conviction could remove her from office and prevent her from seeking the presidency in 2028.
The dispute is the latest stage in the breakdown of the political alliance between Marcos and Duterte. The pair joined forces in the 2022 election before becoming rivals in a feud involving two of the Philippines’ most powerful political families.
