Grave threats case filed vs Sara Duterte in QC court — DOJ

MANILA, Philippines — A grave threats complaint has been filed against Vice President Sara Duterte before a Quezon City court, the Department of Justice (DOJ) said.

In a message to reporters on Tuesday, August 11, DOJ spokesperson Polo Martinez said the complaint was filed before the Office of the Clerk of Court of the Quezon City Regional Trial Court at 1:30 p.m.

“We confirm that the grave threats case filed today is the same matter referred by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to the DOJ,” Martinez said.

The NBI filed the complaint against Duterte before the DOJ in February 2025 over press conferences held by the vice president in October and December 2024.

During a December 2024 Zoom press conference, Duterte threatened President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez.

The same matter is the subject of Article IV of the Articles of Impeachment against Duterte, which was first heard by the Senate impeachment court.

Lawyer Lawrence Lim, Duterte's counsel in the grave threats case, said she would exhaust all legal remedies available.

“Under prevailing circumstances, we have anticipated and prepared for such an outcome. Under our laws, the Vice President continues to be presumed innocent and is confident that the charges against her will ultimately be dismissed,” Lim said.

“Equally important, as a sitting impeachable officer, the Vice President may not be prosecuted for an alleged offense that is also the subject of an impeachment case,” he added.

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