The Department of Justice (DOJ) formally filed a criminal complaint for grave threats against Vice President Sara Duterte before the Quezon City Regional Trial Court (RTC).
The complaint was filed around 1:30 p.m. at QC RTC’s Office of the Clerk of Court, marking a major legal escalation following Duterte’s controversial remarks against the country’s top leadership.
The case stems from initial complaints lodged by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) after Duterte claimed during a Zoom call last year that she had contracted an assassin to kill President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos and then-House Speaker Martin Romualdez if she herself were killed.
While the DOJ dismissed a parallel complaint for inciting to sedition, prosecutors determined there was sufficient basis to proceed with the grave threats charge.
Duterte has previously insisted her statements were taken out of context.
Reacting to the filing, Duterte’s legal counsel, Atty. Paul Lawrance Lim, said the Vice President anticipated the charge and is prepared to challenge it in court.
“Under our laws, the Vice President continues to be presumed innocent and is confident that the charges against her will ultimately be dismissed,” Lim said.
Lim further argued that as an impeachable official currently facing impeachment proceedings, Duterte should not be subjected to criminal prosecution for offenses tied to the same matters.
“Given these serious legal issues, the Vice President will exercise all available legal remedies in due course,” Lim said.