Philippines Vice President Duterte posts bail after arrest order for alleged threats against Marcos

Philippines Vice President Sara Duterte posted bail on Saturday after an arrest warrant was issued the previous day for allegedly threatening to have President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and two others assassinated, according to reports. The charges against Duterte, 48, emerged from a 2024 online news conference where she reportedly vowed to kill Marcos, his wife, and then-House of Representatives Speaker Martin Romualdez if she herself was killed, as their political tensions escalated, reports the AP.

Duterte appeared at the Quezon City Regional Trial Court in a black outfit, consoling supporters and hugging a woman in tears, as they chanted "Duterte! Duterte!" after the court lifted the arrest warrant. She displayed the court order, stating that her lawyers had instructed her to keep a copy for future reference. Duterte urged journalists to accompany her on her journey to her car, citing safety concerns due to the harassment her family has faced since 2023, reports the AP.

Her attorney, Paul Lawrence Lim, said that Duterte filed fingerprints and posted 360,000 pesos ($5,740) bail for the three counts of grave threats. Lim affirmed that his client had no intention of evading the law and would pursue all legal remedies, according to the AP. The case has become a politically charged confrontation between Duterte and Marcos, with a potential conviction disqualifying Duterte from public office and barring her from running for president in 2028, reports the AP.