Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte has posted bail after a court ordered her arrest over allegations that she publicly threatened to have President Ferdinand Marcos Jr and two others killed, saying she had “no trust” in the police or the courts.
Duterte paid 360,000 pesos (£4,500) for three counts of grave threats at the Quezon City Regional Trial Court on Saturday, after her fingerprints were taken. The warrant issued on Friday was lifted once the bail was posted. ([apnews.com](https://apnews.com/article/253a1caa41ef2b831d307fbe2b0489df))
Leaving the court in Metro Manila, she asked journalists to accompany her to her car, saying she did not feel safe around police officers. “If possible please go with me, because I do not feel safe with all these police personnel who are harassing those at my home, harassing me since 2023,” she said.
Duterte has denied threatening Mr Marcos. Her lawyer, Paul Lawrence Lim, said she had no intention of evading the law and would continue to use all available legal remedies. ([apnews.com](https://apnews.com/article/253a1caa41ef2b831d307fbe2b0489df))
The case relates to remarks made during an online news conference in November 2024, when Duterte said she had spoken to an assassin and instructed him to kill Mr Marcos, his wife and Martin Romualdez, who was then speaker of the House of Representatives, if she were killed.
She later said the comments reflected fears for her own safety rather than a threat against the president. The allegations have also formed part of impeachment proceedings against her, which are being heard by the Philippine Senate.
A conviction in the criminal case could prevent Duterte from holding public office and derail a potential campaign for the presidency in 2028. She was impeached by the House of Representatives in May over the alleged threats and accusations involving the misuse of public funds. ([apnews.com](https://apnews.com/article/253a1caa41ef2b831d307fbe2b0489df))
