Sara Duterte to attend arraignment for grave threats case; supporters gather

Supporters of Vice President Sara Duterte gathered near the Quezon City Hall early Friday ahead of her scheduled arraignment for the grave threats case. The supporters started to arrive at around 5 a.m. as they brought placards and banners with a sign that says "Protect VP Sara." On Thursday, the group Inday Sara Movement Philippines said that some 300 of Duterte’s supporters are expected to show up at the arraignment. Duterte will personally attend her arraignment at the Quezon City Regional Trial Court, according to her spokesman. Asked if she would physically attend the court proceedings, Atty. Salvador Paolo Panelo Jr. said, "Yes, as required by law." Meanwhile, Duterte's camp has filed before the Supreme Court an urgent motion to resolve her application for a temporary restraining order in the grave threats case. The motion was filed on Monday, September 7, after the filing of the charges on Friday, September 4, and Duterte posting bail on Saturday, September 5. Duterte is currently facing three counts of grave threats following her public statements against President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Arenata-Marcos, and former Speaker Martin Romualdez. The Department of Justice on August 11 filed grave threats charges against Duterte in connection with remarks she made in an online press conference in 2024. In the presser, Duterte said she had already talked to someone to kill President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and then Speaker Martin Romualdez if anything happened to her. —VAL, GMA News