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Vice President Sara Duterte lashed out at President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Marcos, and House Speaker Martin Romualdez in an expletive-filled press conference last November 2024. Screenshot from Vice President Sara Duterte's Online Press Conference

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DOJ reso on Duterte's inciting to sedition, grave threats cases under review

Francis Orcio

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1771583178723LASHES.png" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Vice President Sara Duterte lashed out at President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Marcos, and House Speaker Martin Romualdez in an expletive-filled press conference last November 2024. <em>Screenshot from Vice President Sara Duterte&#x27;s Online Press Conference </em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA -- The Department of Justice (DOJ) confirmed on Friday that the resolution on the grave threats and inciting to sedition cases against Vice President Sara Duterte is now undergoing review. </p><p>DOJ spokesperson Atty. Polo Martinez said a resolution has already been drafted but has yet to clear the internal review process within the department. He explained that the case is still pending before the division head.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2024/11/23/vp-duterte-lashes-out-at-marcoses-romualdez-1720">&#x27;P*t*ng *n* ninyong lahat!&#x27;: Sara Duterte lashes out at Marcoses, Romualdez</a></div><p>“Under review meaning may resolution na. It’s pending review with the division head,” Martinez said.</p><p>The complaints were filed in February 2025 by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and stem from Duterte’s public remarks made on video in late November 2024.</p><p>In those remarks, she said she had hired someone to kill President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the First Lady, and the House Speaker if she herself were killed. The statements prompted the NBI to pursue charges of inciting to sedition and grave threats.</p><p>Martinez categorically rejected suggestions that Duterte’s possible presidential bid could influence the handling of her case.</p><p>“Whether or not VP Sara had announced her intentions to run for the presidency will not affect the assessment by the prosecutors of the pending case against her. And that applies to any other individual. Whether or not mag-express sila ng intention to file for a certain position,” Martinez explained.</p><p>Addressing questions on the timeline, Martinez said the DOJ is bound by procedural rules that allow prosecutors 60 days from the filing of a complaint to resolve a case, inclusive of the review process, with a possible extension if the case is deemed complex.</p><p>“60 days from the time of filing. The review po has to fall within the 60 days. Kaya iyong 60 days po, lahat-lahat na ‘yan. The filing of any supplemental counter-affidavit, additional evidence, all of that has to be done within the 60-day period,” he said.</p><p>Martinez acknowledged that Duterte’s case is likely being treated as a complex one, a classification that would allow an additional 30-day extension under DOJ rules.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><div><strong><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZLcjP5LBRcw?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></strong><br/></div>

<p>The Department of Justice (DOJ) confirmed on Friday that the resolution on the grave threats and inciting to sedition cases against Vice President Sara Duterte is now undergoing review.</p>

The Department of Justice (DOJ) confirmed on Friday that the resolution on the grave threats and inciting to sedition cases against Vice President Sara Duterte is now undergoing review.

DOJ resolution on Sara Duterte's inciting to sedition, grave threats cases under review

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DOJ resolution on Sara Duterte's inciting to sedition, grave threats cases under review

Francis Orcio,

ABS-CBN News

Published Feb 20, 2026 06:41 PM PHT

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Updated Feb 20, 2026 06:42 PM PHT

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Sara Duterte

DOJ

Department of Justice

Grave threats

Sedition

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