Sara Duterte enters QC Hall of Justice

After much discussion with her lawyers, Vice President Sara Duterte entered the Quezon City Hall of Justice before noon Saturday to post bail for her grave threats case.

Duterte repeated mentioned that she felt unsafe in the presence of security personnel, and even with her own vice presidential security detail.

"Nandito na naman ako, iba lang ‘yung cast of characters. Ang pakiramdam ko, papatayin ako anytime, tapos sorry lang ang sasabihin niyo sa akin kasi, 'We do not know what happened. But we did our jobs,'" Duterte said.

(Here I am again, just with a different cast of characters. I feel like I'm going to be killed at any moment, and then all you will say is sorry, because 'We do not know what happened. But we did our jobs.'"

In a conversation with her lawyer Michael Poa, Duterte said, "Naalala mo ba na si Ninoy Aquino, namatay sa hagdanan? ‘Di ba sa sobrang dami ng baril dito ngayon. Hindi ko maintindihan bakit kailangan pa ng gap? Bakit pa kailangang ilayo 'yung taumbayan? Wala akong tiwala sa kanila."

(Do you remember Ninoy Aquino, who died on the stairs? There are so many guns out here now. I do not understand why there should be a gap? Why do we have to keep the public away? I do not trust them.)

Duterte requested, “Ang gusto ko lang, makita ng taumbayan kung ano ang mangyari sa akin.”

(I just wanted the public to see what will happen to me.)

Eventually, Duterte agreed to enter the premises.

Duterte also said in a statement Saturday that she does not feel safe, taking note of the presence of policemen as she went to go to court.

"I do not feel safe. Pakiramdam ko papatayin nila ako (I feel they will kill me)," the vice president said.

Duterte did not appear before the Quezon City court on Friday, the day the arrest warrant was issued.

QC Regional Trial Court Branch 98 issued the arrest warrant over three counts of grave threats against Duterte after finding probable cause to hold her for trial.

Additional police forces were deployed at the Hall of Justice on Friday, with cops bringing inside the building a backdrop used for taking mugshots. Policemen were deployed to the area on Saturday morning as well.

In early August, the DOJ filed three counts of grave threats against the vice president over her remarks that she hired an individual to kill President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos, and former speaker Martin Romualdez, should an alleged plot against her succeed.

Following this, Duterte filed a motion to quash on the ground of jurisdiction, arguing that she and other impeachable officers have limited procedural immunity while in office under the 1987 Constitution.

The court held the oral arguments on the motion in August.

In its order, the QC Regional Trial Court Branch 98 said it found probable cause to hold Duterte for trial.

“Together with its supporting evidence, and after due consideration of the arguments raised by both parties in their oral arguments, the Court finds that there is probable cause to hold the accused for trial for the crimes charged in the Informations,” it said.

Bail was set at P120,000 per count. — Jamil Santos/ VDV, GMA News