Sara Duterte posts bail for grave threats case
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 threat 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. The two lawyers, in a statement, said, “After receiving all bail requirements, the court issued an order lifting the arrest warrant.”
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.)
After she posted bail, Duterte said in a media interview that her lawyers had presented all possible scenarios in connected to the arrest warrant and advised her, “Magbail ka para maprotektahan ka ng taongbayan (Post bail so that the people can protect you).”
She also motioned to the police personnel deployed to the court that day and reiterated that she does “not feel safe with all these police personnel.”
Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Jonvic Remulla later responded to the Vice President’s statements: “It’s very unfortunate that all the pressure in her life is affecting her perception. The PNP accorded her all the respect her position deserves. We have all the body cam footages of her warrants being served. We have all the body cam footages of her arrival to post bail. We knew of her whereabouts the night before but we did not force the warrant of arrest.”
The Vice President, who had been critical of mainstream media, requested journalists to accompany her as she exited the building, telling them to walk in front and behind her until she got to her vehicle. She said that the “lens and mic” of the media captured the “kagarapalan (shamelessness)” of the Marcos government, apparently referring to her case.
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
