Philippine court issues arrest warrant for VP Duterte

The Philippine Supreme Court issued an arrest warrant on Friday for vice-president Sara Duterte over an alleged death threat against President Ferdinand Marcos. Her defense team stated that she would exercise all legal remedies. Duterte was charged last month with grave threats, stemming from a late-night news briefing where she claimed to have hired a hitman to kill Marcos, his wife, and a former congressman cousin if she were targeted first.

This alleged assassination threat is also a key element in her ongoing Senate impeachment trial, which could lead to her removal from office and a permanent ban from politics. Under Philippine law, a conviction on the charge carries up to a six-month jail term. The justice department confirmed the warrant was issued, noting that a court in Metro Manila's Quezon City had rejected a motion to delay it.

However, Duterte's lawyers could likely file for bail, potentially before the day's end, as per Paolo Tamase, an associate dean at the University of the Philippines College of Law. The warrant could be challenged at a higher court, including the Court of Appeals or the Supreme Court. Duterte's legal team emphasized that she had no intention of evading the law and would continue to exercise all legal remedies.

Calls to her defense lawyers were not returned. Duterte was impeached in May by the House of Representatives for charges including graft and corruption. A guilty verdict in the Senate would end her planned presidential run in 2028, as she announced her candidacy in February.