Vice President Sara Duterte posted P360,000 bail on Saturday after a Quezon City court issued a warrant for her arrest over three counts of grave threats.
Duterte appeared before the Quezon City Regional Trial Court shortly before 11 a.m., a day after the court issued the warrant and set bail at P120,000 for each count.
The charges stemmed from a late night news briefing in which Duterte said she had hired a hitman to kill President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez if she were killed first. She later said her remarks had been misconstrued.
Upon arriving at the court, Duterte said she did not feel safe and alleged that her family had been harassed. She also said she did not trust the police and the court and asked members of the media to accompany her to the fifth floor, where she posted bail.
“Gusto ko nakikita ng maraming tao. Hindi ko naman alam kung anong mangyayari sa akin dyan sa loob,” Duterte said.
She also alleged that police had been harassing her since 2023.
Her lawyer, Atty. Paul Lawrence Lim, said he only learned about the alleged harassment on Saturday morning and would need to gather more information before deciding on possible action.
Duterte said in a statement later Saturday that her lawyers advised her to post bail rather than remain detained in police custody. She said they told her that being seen by civilians would provide greater protection than remaining isolated in detention.
Lim confirmed shortly after 1 p.m. that Duterte had posted bail and said she went through the same booking procedure as other accused persons.
“She had to go through the same process,” Lim said.
Lim explained that Duterte submitted her own photographs because she voluntarily appeared before the court that issued the warrant and was not arrested by police. He said a police mugshot was therefore not required.
QCPD Public Information Office chief PMaj. Jennifer Gannaban likewise said Duterte was allowed to submit her own photographs because she went directly to court instead of being taken into police custody.
Gannaban said the police followed the procedure set by the court because there was no law enforcement arrest. She also confirmed that the arrest warrant was lifted after Duterte posted bail and that she was not in PNP custody.
Under Office of the Court Administrator Circular No. 204-2022-AA, an accused who voluntarily appears before a court and posts bail must submit four sets of photographs showing the front, left and right profiles. The accused must also write their name and sign the back of each photograph.
Lim said Friday that Duterte had no intention of evading the law and would pursue all available legal remedies, regardless of the jurisdictional issues surrounding the case.
The Department of Justice said Quezon City RTC Branch 98 denied Duterte’s motion to defer or recall the arrest warrant for lack of merit. The DOJ said the court found probable cause to hold Duterte for trial on all three counts of grave threats and ordered the issuance of the warrant.
Meanwhile, the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino (PDP Laban) denounced the arrest warrant, calling it the latest assault on the legitimate political opposition by the Marcos administration.
PDP Laban national spokesman Atty. Ferdinand Topacio alleged that the warrant was issued by an RTC judge recently appointed by Marcos. He accused the administration of using government agencies to harass political opponents.
The party also urged Filipinos to continue supporting their chosen leaders and resist what it described as efforts to impose leaders whom voters had rejected.
Photo courtesy of Inquirer.net
Comments