Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte posted bail after the arrest warrant

Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte on September 5 appeared at the Quezon City regional court to appear, then left court with a document confirming that she had paid a guarantee of 360,000 pesos (5,740 USD) to be released on bail. The judge of this court issued an arrest warrant for her the day before.

"The vice president voluntarily appeared in court, so there is no need to arrest her," said Sara Duterte's lawyer Lawrence Lim. The court previously determined there were enough grounds to prosecute Ms. Sara on three charges and set a bail of 120,000 pesos (1,900 USD) for each charge.

Before entering court, Vice President Sara told reporters that she feared for her life.

"Even if I pay bail, the harassment will not stop. But if I don't pay, they will throw me in jail and then one night, will I die in my sleep? I don't trust the police, nor do I trust the courts. I don't feel safe at all," she said.

She also questioned who would be responsible "if I die tonight", and said that the police would just "brush off responsibility and consider it an accident".

Responding to Ms. Sara's statement, Interior Minister Jonvic Remulla said the police gave the Vice President adequate respect. "It's a pity that all the pressures in life are affecting her outlook," Mr. Remulla said.

The Quezon City Regional Court on September 4 issued an arrest warrant for Ms. Sara for allegedly publicly threatening to assassinate President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the President's wife and then-House Speaker Martin Romualdez during an online press conference in 2024. The lawyer representing Ms. Sara denied all accusations.

At that time, when the political conflict between the two sides became tense, Ms. Sara said she would hire an assassin to assassinate Mr. Marcos, his wife and Mr. Romualdez if she was murdered. The vice president also warned that this threat is no joke.

Ms. Sara later explained that she did not threaten Mr. Marcos but only expressed concern about her own safety. These statements led to a criminal investigation and raised national security concerns. According to the Philippine Penal Code, if convicted, she could face a sentence of up to 6 months in prison.

The Philippine Vice President's threatening words are also a key factor in the ongoing impeachment trial in the Senate. If convicted, she will be removed from office and permanently banned from participating in politics. Ms. Sara announced in February that she would run for president in 2028.

The Vice President's legal team issued a statement on September 4 affirming that she "has no intention of avoiding the law and will continue to use all legal measures she has the right to take."