Philippine Court Orders Arrest of Vice President Over Alleged Plot to Kill President

A Philippine court issued an arrest warrant for Vice President Sara Duterte on Friday (4/9/2026). The warrant relates to alleged serious threats against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the First Lady, and the former Speaker of the House.

The lower court has established three counts of serious threats against Duterte. In its ruling, the court also set bail at 120,000 pesos, or approximately Rp33.7 million, for each charge.

“Regardless of the jurisdictional issues, she has no intention of evading the law and will continue to pursue all available legal remedies,” stated Duterte’s lawyer in a statement, as quoted by Reuters.

The case originated from statements made by Duterte in November 2024. At that time, she claimed to have spoken with a hitman and instructed him to kill Marcos, his wife, and her cousin, who was then the Speaker of the House, should she be assassinated. Duterte has since denied ever threatening the three individuals.

The alleged threats are also part of the impeachment complaint against Duterte, which is currently being heard by the Philippine Senate acting as an impeachment court. If found guilty, Duterte could be removed from office and barred from running for president in the 2028 election.

In addition to the threat allegations, Duterte faces accusations of misappropriating public funds during her tenure as Vice President and Minister of Education. She has denied all allegations and stated she will use all available legal channels to contest the cases against her.