Philippine court postpones Duterte’s arraignment over threats against Marcos

In a recent legal development, Philippine Vice-President Sara Duterte secured a postponement of her arraignment on charges of making grave threats against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the First Lady, and House Speaker. The postponement, a win for her defence, could potentially derail her aspirations for the presidency in 2028.

Legal counsel Paul Lim confirmed to Reuters that the defence had filed a motion to delay the arraignment, which the court subsequently granted. Duterte remains unpersuaded, having not entered a plea in the matter. Her arrest came after she posted bail following her initial court appearance. The charges against Duterte stem from remarks she made in 2024 during an online press conference.

In those comments, she allegedly suggested that she would order the assassination of the president, his wife, and her cousin, former Speaker Martin Romualdez, should she herself face death. Duterte, who is the daughter of former President Rodrigo Duterte and a key backer of current President Marcos, has vehemently denied making the threats, insisting they were misrepresented.

If found guilty, she faces up to six months in prison. Additionally, these allegations are part of an impeachment complaint against Duterte, who is concurrently facing trial at the Senate, functioning as an impeachment court with its members serving as jurors.