The Quezon City Regional Trial Court issued an arrest warrant for Vice President Sara Duterte on Friday in connection with criminal charges accusing her of making grave threats against President of the Philippines Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., the first lady, and a former House speaker. The court ordered the arrest on three counts of grave threats and set bail at 120,000 pesos, or roughly $1,900, for each count. The warrant followed the court's denial of Duterte's motion to defer or recall the warrant and to quash the information against her.

The charges originate from remarks Duterte made during a November 2024 online press briefing. In the briefing, she used multiple profanities and claimed to have spoken with an assassin and instructed him to kill President Bongbong Marcos, his wife and First Lady, Liza Araneta Marcos, as well as his cousin, then-House Speaker Martin Romualdez, in the event that she herself was killed. Duterte has denied that her comments constitute threats and instead described them as expressions of concern for her safety amid political disputes.

Duterte and Marcos have had a fraught relationship despite being former allies and political partners. In 2022, they formed the “UniTeam” alliance on a joint ticket that secured landslide victories by promising national unity. The fathers of both Marcos and Duterte served as previous presidents and both administrations were controversial .

Their families, two of the country’s most powerful modern political dynasties, joined forces despite historical tensions. Despite this, their partnership unraveled relatively quickly once in office. Policy differences emerged over foreign relations, the approach to the drug war, and constitutional reform efforts.

Political hostilities escalated in 2024 with mutual accusations of scandals and claims of drug use, investigations into Duterte's office funds, and public verbal attacks. Duterte's scathing November 2024 remarks against Marcos that now form the basis of both the criminal charges and impeachment case against her were not a unique occurrence and may have been overlooked if not for the alleged threats.

In June 2024, Duterte ultimately resigned from her Cabinet posts as education secretary and vice-chair of an anti-insurgency task force while remaining vice president. Adding another layer to the divide between the two was the March 2025 arrest of Duterte's father and former President of the Philippines Rodrigo Duterte on an ICC warrant related to alleged crimes against humanity stemming from his administration’s bloody anti-drug campaign, which resulted in an estimated ten of thousands of deaths. His detention has further polarized Philippine politics and undeniably intensified the sense of existential stakes for the Duterte political camp.

Duterte's legal team stated that she has no intention of evading the law and will continue to exercise all legal remedies. Her office confirmed receipt of the warrant, which was served by police. The Department of Justice noted the court's ruling and reaffirmed its commitment to the rule of law.

The alleged threats also form part of an impeachment complaint against Duterte that is currently before the Senate sitting as an impeachment court. A conviction in the criminal case could carry a jail term of up to six months under Philippine law.

Duterte's legal team indicated plans to post bail as soon as possible. The political rivalry between Duterte and Marcos has intensified in recent years, with the vice president positioning herself as a potential presidential candidate in 2028.