Philippines: Court Issues Arrest Warrant for Vice President Sara Duterte on Charges of "Threatening to Kill"
A Philippine court issued an arrest warrant against Vice President Sara Duterte, charging her with making death threats against the president, while her lawyers stated that she “will resort to all available legal avenues of appeal.”
Duterte was accused last month of making “serious threats” in connection with statements she made, in which she said she had hired a hitman to kill President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., his wife, and his cousin, a former member of Congress, should she be assassinated beforehand.
The death threat charge is a key element in her ongoing impeachment trial before the Senate, where a conviction would lead to her removal from office and a permanent ban from holding political office.
Under Philippine law, a criminal conviction for this offense carries a penalty of up to six months’ imprisonment.
Justice Department spokesperson Polo Martinez confirmed the issuance of the arrest warrant, noting that a court in Quezon City, part of Metro Manila, had rejected a request to postpone it.
However, the arrest warrant is unlikely to result in Duterte’s detention. Paolo Tamase, an associate professor at the University of the Philippines College of Law, told Agence France-Presse that Duterte’s lawyers are expected to file a petition for bail, possibly before the end of the day.
“The easiest thing Vice President Sara Duterte can do is file a petition for bail before the Regional Trial Court,” Tamase said in a phone interview, adding that Duterte would likely not need to appear in person.
He noted that the arrest warrant could still be challenged in a higher court. “She can appeal the issuance of the arrest warrant, meaning she can take the case to the Court of Appeals or possibly the Supreme Court.”
The legal team of the vice president issued a statement saying she “does not intend to evade the law and will continue to exhaust all available remedies.”
Justice Department officials rejected arguments made by the vice president’s legal team that she cannot be prosecuted for crimes also related to her impeachment.
