Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte is facing a criminal charge over an alleged death threat against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., as her Senate impeachment trial continues.
The Department of Justice filed a charge of grave threats on Tuesday at a Quezon City court, spokesperson Polo Martinez confirmed.
The case stems from a National Bureau of Investigation complaint filed in February 2025 after comments Duterte made during a late-night press briefing.
What Prosecutors Say She Said
According to investigators, Duterte said she had hired an assassin to kill President Marcos, his wife and his cousin, former House Speaker Martin Romualdez, if she were killed first.
The remarks were made public in 2024 and triggered a political crisis in Manila.
Her lawyers argued on Tuesday that the criminal case should not go ahead while impeachment is ongoing.
“As a sitting impeachable officer, the Vice President may not be prosecuted for an alleged offense that is also the subject of an impeachment case,” defence lawyer Paul Lawrence Lim said.
However, the Justice Department said both cases can run at the same time.
“That’s correct,” Martinez told AFP, saying the court now has jurisdiction.
University of the Philippines law professor Dante Gatmaytan agreed.
“This is not unconstitutional,” he said.
Under Philippine law, grave threats carry one to six months in prison. A separate complaint for inciting to sedition from the same NBI report was dismissed.
Impeachment Trial And 2028 Stakes
Duterte was impeached by the House of Representatives in May over allegations including graft and misuse of confidential funds, which she denies.
Tuesday was Day 14 of her Senate trial.
If convicted, she will be removed from office and permanently barred from holding public office. That would end her plan to run for president in 2028.
Sara Duterte is the daughter of former President Rodrigo Duterte, who is facing a case at the International Criminal Court.
Her clash with Marcos Jr. has split their former alliance that won the 2022 election.
