Philippine court orders arrest of VP Duterte over President Marcos threats

Key Points:

• A Philippine court in Quezon City has issued an arrest warrant for Vice President Sara Duterte over allegations that she arranged the assassination of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and threatened to kill him, his wife, and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez.
• Duterte faces three charges of "grave threat," with bail set at $1,900 each, amid an ongoing impeachment trial in the Senate that could remove her from office and end her 2028 presidential ambitions.
• The controversy stems from Duterte's November 2024 statement about arranging a hitman for Marcos and his family if she were killed, which she claims was an expression of fear for her safety after falling out with the president.
• Duterte's lawyer insists she will not evade the law and will use all legal remedies, while the justice department confirms prosecution can proceed despite the concurrent impeachment trial.
• The impeachment process also involves corruption and unexplained wealth allegations from her previous roles, and the Senate hearing has been ongoing for nine weeks amid the political fallout from her broken alliance with Marcos.