Philippines Vice President Sara Duterte posted bail on Saturday after a court issued an arrest order against her over allegations that she threatened to have President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., his wife and former House of Representatives Speaker Martin Romualdez killed.
Duterte appeared at the Quezon City Regional Trial Court in Metro Manila dressed in black, where she met supporters who had gathered outside the court. Some chanted “Duterte! Duterte!” while the vice president hugged and consoled a woman who was crying.
Duterte, who has denied the allegations, showed a court order lifting the arrest warrant issued against her on Friday. She said her lawyers had instructed her to keep a copy of the document with her.
She also asked journalists to accompany her as she walked to her vehicle, saying she did not feel safe around the police personnel.
“If possible, please go with me, because I do not feel safe with all these police personnel who are harassing those at my home, harassing me since 2023,” Duterte said. “What does this administration really want to do with me?”
One of her lawyers, Paul Lawrence Lim, said court officials took Duterte’s fingerprints before she posted 360,000 pesos ($5,740) bail for three counts of grave threats.
Following the arrest order, Lim said Duterte would contest the charges.
“She has no intention of evading the law and will continue to exercise all her legal remedies,” he said in a statement.
The case has further intensified the political battle between Duterte and Marcos, who were once allies but have since become rivals.
The charges stem from remarks Duterte made during an online news conference in 2024. She said she would have Marcos, his wife, and Romualdez killed by an assassin if she herself were killed.
Duterte warned during the event that she was not joking about the threat.
She later explained that she was expressing concerns about her own safety rather than threatening Marcos. Her comments, however, prompted a criminal investigation and raised national security concerns.
The case could significantly affect Duterte’s political future. A conviction could permanently disqualify her from holding public office and prevent her from running for president in 2028, when Marcos’ six-year term ends.
In May, the House of Representatives, which is dominated by Marcos’ allies, voted overwhelmingly to impeach Duterte over allegations of unexplained wealth, misuse of confidential state funds and the threats made during the online news conference.
The Philippine Senate, acting as an impeachment court, began her televised trial in July.
Marcos and Duterte contested the 2022 elections as running mates, forming an alliance between two of the Philippines’ most powerful political dynasties.
Marcos is the son of former President Ferdinand Marcos Sr., who ruled the country from the 1960s to the 1980s, including during a period of martial law and repression. Sara Duterte is the daughter of former President Rodrigo Duterte, Marcos’ predecessor.
Rodrigo Duterte was arrested in 2025 on an order from the International Criminal Court and detained in The Hague. He is scheduled to face trial from late November over alleged crimes against humanity linked to his administration’s anti-drug campaign, which left thousands of mostly poor suspects dead.
He has denied authorising extrajudicial killings but repeatedly threatened suspected criminals with death while in office.
Sara Duterte has previously criticised the Marcos administration for surrendering her father to the international court, which currently has no jurisdiction over the Philippines.
The political rivals also have differing positions on foreign policy.
Marcos has expanded defence cooperation with the United States, a treaty ally of the Philippines, as his administration confronts China’s increasingly aggressive actions in the disputed South China Sea.
Duterte, meanwhile, has faced criticism for not condemning China’s actions against Filipino forces and fishermen in the disputed waters, including the use of powerful water cannons.
