Sara Duterte to Exhaust All Remedies After Court Denies Inhibition Motion

The camp of Vice President Sara Duterte said Tuesday it would exhaust all available remedies after the Quezon City Regional Trial Court denied her motion for inhibition or voluntary recusal. In a statement, Duterte's counsel Paul Lawrence Lim confirmed receiving the QC RTC Branch 98's order dated September 14. The ruling, a copy of which was obtained by GMA News, stated that Presiding Judge Maria Angelica De Ramos found that Duterte's motion lacks merit. "The Vice President will exercise all available remedies," Lim said. "We will continue to comply, consistent with the Vice President's respect for the rule of law," he added. Duterte's lawyer also confirmed receiving the court's order requiring both parties "to strictly comply with the sub judice rule and to refrain from publicly discussing the merits of the case." Duterte is facing three counts of grave threats in connection with remarks she made in an online press conference in 2024. The Vice President had then said she spoke with someone to kill President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and then House Speaker Martin Romualdez if anything happened to her. The court issued an arrest warrant against Duterte on September 4, and she posted bail the following day. The Vice President's arraignment was originally set for September 11 but was deferred following a motion filed by her camp. — VDV, GMA News