Philippine VP Duterte hit with criminal charge over Marcos 'threat'

Manila - Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte faces a criminal charge for allegedly making death threats against President Ferdinand Marcos, a critical issue in her ongoing Senate impeachment trial. The charge of "grave threats" was filed on Tuesday at a Quezon City courtroom by the Department of Justice. This stems from an NBI criminal complaint filed in February 2025, following a late-night briefing where Duterte claimed she had hired an assassin to kill the president, his wife, and a cousin if Marcos were to eliminate her first.

Duterte's legal team argued that the case should not be pursued while she is being impeached, stating that a sitting impeachable officer cannot be prosecuted for an alleged offense that is also the subject of an impeachment case. The Department of Justice confirmed that they believe the case can proceed alongside the impeachment trial, and it is now under the court's jurisdiction.

Legal expert Dante Gatmaytan of the University of the Philippines College of Law stated that there is no constitutional barrier preventing the simultaneous proceedings of both cases. The charge of "grave threats" carries a potential jail term of 1-6 months, while a separate charge of "inciting to sedition" was dismissed. Duterte was impeached in May on charges of graft and corruption, with her political future and 2028 presidential aspirations now at risk.