Chalssea Kate Echegoyen

Vice-President Sara Duterte speaks to the media at the Batasan Pambansa in Quezon City on November 25, 2024, while the hearing on alleged irregularities in the use of confidential funds by the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education is suspended. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

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/178857610754420250207-vp-duterte-presscon-impeachment-MT-16.jpg" style="width: 960px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960" alt="Vice President Sara Duterte holds a press conference with the media at the Office of the Vice President in Mandaluyong City on February 7, 2025. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News/File"><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align: left;">Vice President Sara Duterte holds a press conference with the media at the Office of the Vice President in Mandaluyong City on February 7, 2025. <em>Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News/File</em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA &mdash; The issuance of an arrest warrant against Vice President Sara Duterte over a separate grave threats case is not a finding of guilt, her impeachment defense team said Saturday.</p><p>Atty. Justin Gular, deputy spokesperson of Duterte&rsquo;s defense team, said the warrant issued by a Quezon City court should not be interpreted as a ruling that the vice president is guilty of the allegations against her.</p><p>&ldquo;The matter that should be clarified, &lsquo;yung pag-issue po ng warrant of arrest, hindi naman po yan finding of guilt ng Vice President,&rdquo; Gular said in an interview with DZMM.</p><p>A Quezon City Regional Trial Court on Friday issued an arrest warrant against Duterte over three counts of grave threats involving President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Marcos and then-House Speaker Martin Romualdez.&nbsp;</p><p>The court set bail at P120,000 for each count.&nbsp;</p><p>Duterte has not posted bail as of writing.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/9/4/sara-duterte-arrest-warrant-grave-threats-1442">Sara Duterte faces arrest warrant for grave threats case</a></div><p>The alleged threats also form part of the impeachment allegations being heard by the Senate sitting as an impeachment court.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/7/23/poa-duterte-has-never-been-violent-1152">&lsquo;She&rsquo;s never been violent&rsquo;: Poa says Duterte is not &lsquo;what she is being portrayed as&rsquo;</a></div><p>Asked whether the arrest warrant could affect Duterte&rsquo;s impeachment case, Gular declined to elaborate, saying his team is not representing the vice president in the criminal case.</p><p>&ldquo;I hope you understand. Hindi ko masasagot yan kasi I&rsquo;d be delving into something to be said,&rdquo; he said.</p><p>Gular said the public could draw its own conclusions on the possible impact of the separate case on the impeachment proceedings.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/9/5/who-is-maria-angelica-p-de-ramos-the-judge-handling-sara-duterte-s-grave-threat-case-0022">Who is Maria Angelica P. De Ramos, the judge handling Sara Duterte&rsquo;s grave threat case?</a></div><div><br></div><div><strong>VP DUTERTE STILL POSSIBLE DEFENSE WITNESS<br></strong></div><p>Gular also said Duterte remains a possible witness for her own defense, although the team has yet to make a final decision.</p><p>&ldquo;That option has always been there. Sabi nga namin, if kinakailangan,&rdquo; he said.</p><p>He stressed that several factors would have to be considered before the defense decides whether to put Duterte on the witness stand.</p><p>&ldquo;Everything is possible with respect to the Vice President,&rdquo; Gular said.</p><p>The defense has said it initially requested up to 90 days to present its case, based on the witnesses it disclosed and reserved in its pre-trial brief. Gular, however, said the team may ultimately need fewer days depending on the evidence presented by the prosecution.</p><p>He noted that the prosecution itself had trimmed its witness lineup as the trial progressed.</p><div><br></div><div><strong>HEATED EXCHANGE &lsquo;NORMAL&rsquo; WITHIN LAWYERS</strong></div><p>Gular also played down the tense exchanges between lawyers during Wednesday&rsquo;s proceedings, saying such confrontations are not unusual in court.</p><p>&ldquo;I would have to say that these heated exchanges are normal every now and then in court,&rdquo; he said.</p><p>The exchanges came during the testimony of Atty. Michael Poa, a former OVP official and member of Duterte&rsquo;s defense team who temporarily stepped down as the panel&rsquo;s spokesperson to testify.</p><p>Gular said heated exchanges may happen when a witness is important or contentious to both sides.</p><p>&ldquo;Nothing personal naman &lsquo;yan. It&rsquo;s just really the circumstance sa trial,&rdquo; he said.</p><p>He said the defense had to raise objections during Poa&rsquo;s testimony, while the prosecution likewise had to question Poa on matters relevant to its case.</p>

<p>The issuance of an arrest warrant against Vice President Sara Duterte over a separate grave threats case is not a finding of guilt, her impeachment defense team said Saturday.</p>

The issuance of an arrest warrant against Vice President Sara Duterte over a separate grave threats case is not a finding of guilt, her impeachment defense team said Saturday.

Arrest warrant vs. Sara Duterte not finding of guilt—defense

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Arrest warrant vs. Sara Duterte not finding of guilt—defense

Chalssea Kate Echegoyen,

ABS-CBN News

Published September 05, 2026 10:44 AM PHT

Read More:

Vice President Sara Duterte

Impeachment Trial

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