Philippine court orders arrest of VP Duterte over President Marcos threats

A Philippine court has ordered the arrest of Vice President Sara Duterte over allegations that she planned to kill President Ferdinand Marcos. The Quezon City court issued the warrant on Friday after dismissing an appeal by Duterte's lawyers. Duterte is accused of threatening to kill President Ferdinand Marcos, his wife, and a former House Speaker, who were once her political allies. The threats, filed last month in three separate cases, have put pressure on Duterte, who is facing controversy with a bail of $1,900 set for each count. The threats are also the main reason for the impeachment complaint against her, which is being investigated in the Senate. If convicted, she would be removed from office and her dream of running for president in 2028 would end. The issue began in November 2024 when Duterte said she had hired assassins to kill President Marcos, his wife, and her cousin Martin Romualdez if she were assassinated. She countered that she made the statement out of concern for her security after her relationship with Ferdinand Marcos soured. Duterte's lawyer, Paul Lawrence Tan, issued a statement saying Duterte has no plans to evade the law and will continue to face it legally. A spokesperson for the Department of Justice confirmed the arrest warrant was valid and rejected the defense team's argument that Duterte could not be prosecuted while under investigation. Duterte is not expected to be arrested immediately as she can post bail. If convicted of the crime, Duterte faces a maximum of six months in prison. The case she faces in the House of Representatives could lead to a greater political image damage due to allegations of corruption and unexplained wealth during her tenure as vice president and education minister. Sara Duterte, the daughter of former President Rodrigo Duterte, and Marcos ran together in the 2022 elections, but later their alliance broke down and they became enemies. Reference – Al Jazeera News