VP Duterte: Accused must attend arraignment

Vice President Sara Duterte will have to attend her arraignment for the grave threats case before the Quezon City Regional Trial Court (RTC), her lawyer Michael Poa said, though he declined to give a direct answer on whether she would be physically present. "For an arraignment, the accused really has to be there to enter a plea or to not enter a plea if she so decides," Poa said, emphasizing the legal requirement for accused individuals to be present during the proceeding. Poa also stated that he has not yet discussed with the Vice President whether he would accompany her to the arraignment on Friday. He indicated that Atty. Paul Lawrence Lim, Duterte's counsel for the specific case, might attend instead, as Poa is currently occupied with the impeachment trial proceedings. Last Friday, the Quezon City RTC Branch 98 issued an arrest order against Duterte over three counts of grave threats – one each for alleged threats against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos, and former House of Representatives Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez. The court set bail at P120,000 for each count. On Saturday, Duterte appeared before the Quezon City RTC to post her bail, accompanied by Poa and Lim. Reports indicated that while surrounded by police officers, Duterte expressed concerns about her safety and distrust in the court, stating, "If I am killed, kill BBM, Liza Araneta, and Martin Romualdez. No joke, no joke." The case stems from a complaint filed by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) following Duterte's online press briefing on November 23, 2024, where she criticized the House of Representatives for detaining her chief-of-staff. During the briefing, she publicly denounced the President and the former Speaker. These threats have also been a subject of impeachment complaints against Duterte, with Article IV of the Articles of Impeachment transmitted to the Senate on May 13, which the House prosecution panel has concluded. The defense panel for Duterte's impeachment maintains that her statements were part of free speech, but government officials and prosecutors argue it constitutes a grave threat, regardless of whether a contract to kill was executed. Information Source: Inquirer NewsInfo