VP Sara Duterte arrives at QC Hall of Justice, says she does not feel safe

Vice President Sara Duterte arrived on Saturday morning at the Quezon City Hall of Justice, a day after the issuance of an arrest warrant against her for grave threats.

In a statement, Duterte said she does not feel safe.

"I have documented threats and harassment since 2023. I fear for my children. I do not feel they are safe if I am with them," she said.

"Umalis na nga ako kung nasaan mga anak ko para pumunta sa korte pero pumunta pa rin ang pulis," Duterte added.

(I already left the place where my children were to go to court but the police still went there.)

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

The Quezon City (QC) Regional Trial Court Branch 98 issued an arrest warrant against Duterte over her grave threats case.

In its order, the court 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.

QC RTC Branch 98 Presiding Judge Maria Angelica P. De Ramos set the bail at P120,000 each for three counts of grave threats in relation to Section 6 of Republic Act No. 10175.

In early August, the Department of Justice 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.

Duterte's lawyer on Friday said the vice president would face the charges head on.

"Regardless of the question on jurisdiction, she has no intention of evading the law and will continue to exercise all her legal remedies," lawyer Paul Lawrence Lim, her counsel, said in a statement. —KG, GMA News