MANILA, Philippines — The arraignment of Vice President Sara Duterte on three counts of grave threats was postponed for the second time on Friday, October 9.
Duterte appeared before Branch 98 of the Quezon City Regional Trial Court, where her arraignment was scheduled for 8:30 a.m.
The arraignment was initially scheduled for September 11 before being moved to October 9.
Duterte’s camp filed a motion for partial reconsideration and a petition for certiorari on Friday. The reason for the latest postponement was not immediately clear from the available reports.
A motion for partial reconsideration asks a court to review part of an earlier ruling, while a petition for certiorari seeks to challenge a court action allegedly made with grave abuse of discretion.
Duterte’s lawyers have previously questioned the trial court’s jurisdiction over the case, arguing that the Constitution grants impeachable officials limited procedural immunity while in office. The court had earlier rejected her bid to dismiss the charges on jurisdictional grounds.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) filed the three counts of grave threats against Duterte on August 11 over remarks she made during an online press conference in November 2024.
During the briefing, Duterte said she had spoken to someone about killing President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos and then House Speaker Martin Romualdez if anything happened to her.
The charges were filed under Republic Act 10175, or the Cybercrime Prevention Act. Duterte has denied the allegations.
The Quezon City RTC issued an arrest warrant against Duterte on September 4 after finding probable cause to hold her for trial. The court set bail at P120,000 for each count.
Duterte posted bail on September 5, paying a total of P360,000 for the three charges.
The alleged threats against Marcos also form part of one of the Articles of Impeachment against Duterte, who faces an impeachment trial before the Senate.