A House impeachment prosecutor on Saturday urged Vice President Sara Duterte to stop portraying her arrest warrant as a threat to her safety and instead address the grave threats charges against her through the proper legal process.
House Prosecutor and Bicol Saro party-list Rep. Terry Ridon made the statement after Duterte publicly expressed concerns over her security and questioned who would be held accountable should any harm come to her.
“Sinong mananagot? Kayo po, Madam Vice President, ang kailangang managot at sumagot sa mga alegasyong kinakaharap ninyo,” Ridon stressed.
Duterte repeatedly expressed fears for her life after arriving at the Quezon City Hall of Justice on Saturday to post bail following the issuance of a warrant for her arrest on three counts of grave threats.
The vice president, who claimed she has documented threats and harassment since 2023, told reporters she did not feel safe and questioned who would be held accountable if she were killed, even suggesting that authorities could make her death appear to be an accident.
“Tama na po ang drama. Wala naman pong grave threats case ngayon kung hindi dahil sa mga pahayag na naging batayan ng kasong isinampa laban sa inyo,” Ridon countered.
The Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 98 issued the warrant Friday after finding probable cause to hold Duterte for trial on all three counts, with bail fixed at P120,000 for each count or a total of P360,000.
The charges arose from Duterte’s remarks during an online press conference in November 2024 in which she revealed that she had instructed someone to kill President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez if she herself were killed.
Duterte has maintained that her remarks were taken out of context and her lawyers had sought to stop the issuance of the warrant and challenge the cases, arguments that were considered by the court before it ruled that there was probable cause for the charges to proceed to trial.
“Harapin po ninyo ang proseso at ilahad po ninyo ang inyong depensa sa korte,” Ridon stressed.
The criminal proceedings are separate from Duterte’s ongoing impeachment trial before the Senate, although the alleged threats against Marcos, the First Lady and Romualdez are also among the accusations raised against her in the impeachment case.
Ridon had earlier emphasized that the issuance of the arrest warrant does not constitute a finding of guilt and that Duterte would have every opportunity to present her defenses before the proper court, while the House prosecution panel continues to pursue the separate constitutional case before the Senate.
metrosundaily
