DOJ files grave threats case against Sara Duterte in QC court
The Department of Justice has filed a grave threats charge against Vice President Sara Duterte in relation to her remark against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the First Lady, and the former House Speaker.
The agency confirmed to reporters that the complaint was filed at around 1:30 p.m. on Aug. 11 before the Office of the Clerk of Court of the Quezon City Regional Trial Court.
This comes following the National Bureau of Investigation's recommendation to file a complaint against Duterte in February 2025.
Another complaint filed by the NBI on inciting to sedition was dismissed.
DOJ Spokesperson Atty. Polo Martinez explained that the case was junked because the prosecution panel did not find prima facie evidence with reasonable certainty of conviction.
"Mataas po kasi ang quantum of proof diyan, so for that particular crime under the law may elements ang crime. Nakita po nila there's not enough evidence for us to file this in court," he said, as per ABS-CBN News.
In a statement, Duterte's counsel, Atty. Paul Lawrence Lim, confirmed that three counts of grave threat were filed against the VP.
"Under our laws, the Vice President continues to be presumed innocent and is confident that the charges against her will ultimately be dismissed," he said.
"Given these serious legal issues, the Vice President will exercise all available legal remedies in due course."
Lim also noted that Duterte may not be prosecuted for an offense that is also the subject of an impeachment case. The alleged threat, tackled in Article IV of the impeachment articles against Duterte, was the first to be taken up by the Senate impeachment court.
Martinez, however, told ABS-CBN News that the conduct of the criminal case "should not be affected" by the ongoing impeachment trial.
During a Zoom press conference in November 2024, Duterte said that she had contracted a hitman to assassinate Marcos, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and Rep. Martin Romualdez if she were killed.
The VP has since said that her remark was "maliciously taken out of logical context."
The Senate is well into impeachment proceedings and is hearing the first article of impeachment on the alleged misuse of confidential funds under the Office of the Vice President and formerly the Department of Education.
