Quezon City court issues arrest warrant vs VP Duterte

Over grave threats case

MANILA, Philippines — The Quezon City Regional Trial Court (QC RTC) yesterday ordered the arrest of Vice President Sara Duterte over the grave threats case filed by the Department of Justice (DOJ).

The case against Duterte stemmed from her online press briefing in November 2024 wherein she said that she had hired someone to kill President Marcos, First Lady Liza Marcos and former speaker Martin Romualdez, should she herself be killed.

Duterte is facing three counts of grave threat in relation to Republic Act 10175, or the Cybercrime Prevention Act, with the Quezon City RTC Branch 98 setting the bail at P120,000 for each count.

She can arrange to post bail even today, a Saturday, according to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), which like the police can carry out the arrest.

“I confirm that I was given notice of a warrant of arrest dated Sept. 4, 2026 issued by Judge Maria Angelica de Ramos of Branch 98, Quezon City and served by PNP Col. Christine Tabdi in the Office of the Vice President,” Duterte said in a statement.

“My lawyers Attys. Paul Lim and Clifford Chua will attend to this matter immediately,” she added.

Lim earlier argued that the grave threats case filed against Duterte by the DOJ should be dismissed, as criminal cases cannot be filed against impeachable officials until after their terms.

There are also debates on whether a criminal case can be pursued against Duterte alongside her impeachment trial.

DOJ spokesman Polo Martinez reiterated that the prosecution has found prima facie evidence with reasonable certainty of conviction to charge Duterte with three counts of grave threats.

For his part, Sen. Bong Go on Friday questioned the timing of the arrest warrant against Duterte, noting that the move perfectly coincides with the Senate’s ongoing impeachment trial.

“I am surprised by the timing. Why now during the ongoing impeachment? There were other times before. It happened two years ago, almost two years ago, that was November 2024... Why was it released now, it was filed recently, coinciding that there is also an impeachment?” he added.

Despite the development, Go expressed confidence that the Vice President’s legal team is prepared and that she can withstand the legal pressure.

“The Vice President is used to those kinds of situations. The impeachment is ongoing. I believe she can handle it,” he added.

Motion denied

Martinez also said the trial court has denied Duterte’s motion to defer or recall the warrant of arrest against her as well as her bid to quash the criminal information against her.

He said the court found probable cause to hold Duterte for trial on all three counts of grave threats and ordered the issuance of the arrest warrant.

“The department respects the Court’s ruling and reaffirms its commitment to the rule of law,” he said.

According to Martinez, as a matter of procedure, warrants of arrest are transmitted directly by the court to the appropriate law enforcement agencies for implementation.

The QC RTC Branch 98 held oral arguments last Aug. 25 amid the motion to dismiss filed by Duterte’s defense team.

Bail

The Quezon City RTC will be able to process the bail of Vice President Duterte this weekend, according to NBI Director Melvin Matibag.

“The court can process bail applications during Saturdays,” Matibag told “Storycon” on One News, citing a previous directive from the Supreme Court. The NBI chief added that they have yet to receive a copy of the arrest warrant.

Matibag maintained the criminal case can proceed even if the threats are also the subject of an Article of Impeachment against the Vice President.

“The impeachment is legal and political in a sense. This is criminal in nature. The court cannot stop functioning if there is an impeachment proceeding,” he said.

“The impeachment court will proceed with their hearing, and the case of grave threats will also proceed,” added Matibag.

Duterte’s lawyers have received a copy of the warrant and will post bail as soon as possible, according to Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla.

“We are basing it all on their lawyers’ statements,” Remulla said in a Viber message.

Palace bows to RTC

Malacañang yesterday said it respects the decision of the Quezon City RTC to issue a warrant of arrest against the Vice President.

“The Palace respects any decision or order of the courts,” Palace press officer Claire Castro said in a statement sent to Palace reporters.

She earlier said that criminal prosecution can proceed concurrently against an impeachable official while an impeachment trial is ongoing. She also clarified that the Vice President is not immune from lawsuits.

For former chief presidential legal counsel Salvador Panelo, the decision of the court to issue a warrant of arrest against Duterte is a grave error, as he maintained that the presidential immunity from suit applies to the vice president as well.

However, Martinez insisted that Duterte does not have immunity from criminal prosecution as enjoyed by the president.

“The DOJ’s position is that presidential immunity is lodged solely in the president as chief executive, which is why the DOJ filed the case against the accused,” Martinez said. — Josiah Antonio, Emmanuel Tupas, Helen Flores, Janvic Mateo, Daphne Galvez, Neil Jayson Servallos