The case stems from a National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) filing that originated from a late-night press conference where Duterte claimed she had contracted a hitman to kill President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
Criminal Charges Filed Against Vice President Sara Duterte
According to DOJ Spokesperson Polo Martinez, prosecutors officially filed the grave threats charge against Sara Duterte on Tuesday afternoon at a trial court in Quezon City. As reported by Kompas.com, the criminal indictment tracks back to a criminal complaint lodged by the National Bureau of Investigation in February 2025. That NBI action followed a public briefing where Duterte stated she had hired someone to eliminate President Marcos, his wife, and a cousin who previously served as a congress member if an alleged plot against her life materialized. While the initial NBI report also carried an inciting to sedition charge, authorities later dropped that specific allegation. Under Philippine penal law, a conviction for grave threats carries a prison sentence ranging from one to six months.
Senate Impeachment Trial and Legal Defense Clash
The criminal docket is moving forward concurrently with an ongoing Senate impeachment trial that marks its fourteenth day. Defense attorney Paul Lawrence Lim argued in a statement on Tuesday that the court cannot advance the criminal case while the Senate impeachment process remains active. “As an impeachable officer, the Vice President cannot be prosecuted for alleged offenses that are also the subject of the impeachment proceedings,” Lim said, according to text cited by Kompas.com. Conversely, DOJ spokesperson Polo Martinez stated that the criminal matter falls squarely under judicial jurisdiction and that prosecutors met a high evidentiary threshold before moving forward. University of the Philippines College of Law Professor Dante Gatmaytan told AFP that no constitutional barrier prevents the criminal case and the impeachment trial from running on separate tracks.
Political Stakes for the 2028 Presidential Election
Duterte faces impeachment charges that include graft and corruption stemming from actions earlier in her term. If the Senate finds her guilty during the ongoing proceedings, she will be removed from office and permanently barred from holding any future elected public post.
Frequently Asked Questions
What specific criminal charge was filed against Vice President Sara Duterte?
According to DOJ spokesperson Polo Martinez, prosecutors filed a single charge of grave threats in a Quezon City court, while an initial charge of inciting to sedition was dropped.
Can a criminal case proceed while an impeachment trial is ongoing?
Yes. According to University of the Philippines law professor Dante Gatmaytan, no rule blocks the criminal case and the Senate impeachment trial from proceeding concurrently, though defense lawyers argue otherwise.
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What is the potential penalty if convicted of grave threats?
Under Philippine criminal law, a guilty verdict for grave threats carries a prison term of one to six months.
What is at stake in the Senate impeachment trial?
If convicted by the Senate, Duterte will be removed from the vice presidency and permanently disqualified from running for any public office in future elections, affecting her 2028 presidential ambitions.
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