Philippine VP Sara Duterte faces criminal charge over alleged threat to president

Vice President Sara Duterte is facing a "grave threats" criminal charge stemming from an alleged death threat against President Ferdinand Marcos. The charge was filed in a Quezon City courtroom on August 11, following a National Bureau of Investigation complaint. The alleged threat was made in a late-night briefing where Duterte claimed she had hired an assassin to kill Marcos, his wife, and a cousin if they targeted her first.

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As a sitting impeachable officer, the Vice-President may not be prosecuted for an alleged offence that is also the subject of an impeachment case.

Duterte's legal team argued that the criminal case should not proceed while she is undergoing an impeachment trial, citing her status as an impeachable officer. However, Department of Justice spokesman Polo Martinez stated that the case can be pursued simultaneously with the impeachment trial, and it is now in the court's jurisdiction.

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That’s correct

Legal experts suggest there is no constitutional barrier to the criminal case proceeding independently of the impeachment trial. A conviction for "grave threats" under the Philippine legal code can result in a jail term of one to six months. An earlier complaint for "inciting to sedition" was dismissed. Duterte, daughter of former president Rodrigo Duterte, is also facing impeachment charges including graft and corruption.

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This is not unconstitutional