A court in the Philippine city of Quezon has issued an arrest warrant for Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio over allegations that she made death threats against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez.

The Quezon City Regional Trial Court issued the warrant after finding probable cause in three separate charges of grave threats linked to Duterte-Carpio’s remarks that she had spoken with a person who would kill Marcos, his wife and Romualdez if she were assassinated. The court set bail at 120,000 pesos (around $1,900) for each charge.

The case stems from comments Duterte-Carpio made in November 2024, when she said she had arranged for someone to target the three officials if she herself were killed. She later denied making a genuine threat, saying her remarks had been taken out of context and were intended to highlight concerns over her own security.

Legal challenge and growing political tensions

Duterte-Carpio’s legal team has challenged the charges, arguing that the court lacks jurisdiction and citing constitutional protections for impeachable officials. Her lawyer said the vice president has no intention of evading the law and will continue to use all available legal remedies.

The arrest warrant comes as Duterte-Carpio faces an impeachment case in the Senate, where the alleged threats against Marcos and other officials are among the accusations. A conviction in the impeachment trial could remove her from office and affect her political future.

The case has further intensified the political conflict between the Marcos and Duterte families, whose alliance brought them to power in 2022 but later collapsed into a bitter rivalry. Duterte-Carpio, the daughter of former President Rodrigo Duterte, has rejected the allegations and accused her critics of political persecution.(ILKHA)