Sara Duterte arraignment for grave threats case set September 11, 2026

The arraignment of Vice President Sara Duterte for three counts of grave threats is set for Friday, September 11, 2026, before the Quezon City Regional Trial Court (QCRTC). According to a report on "24 Oras," Duterte’s lawyer, Michael Poa, said they have yet to discuss the arraignment with the Vice President. Poa, however, said an accused is required to personally appear in court to enter a plea. Meanwhile, a group of supporters of Duterte said they planned to camp out in front of the QCRTC starting Thursday evening. In early August, the Department of Justice filed three counts of grave threats against Duterte 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 Duterte’s motion in late August. Duterte previously said her remarks were "maliciously taken out of logical context." The vice president's alleged grave threats against Marcos are also the basis of one of the Articles of Impeachment against her in the ongoing trial before the Senate impeachment court. On Friday, September 4, the court issued a warrant of arrest against Duterte. She posted bail the next day. —LDF, GMA News