THE Regional Trial Court in Quezon City has set for hearing and oral arguments the motion filed by Vice President Sara Duterte seeking the outright dismissal of the three counts of grave threats case filed against her by the Department of Justice (DOJ).
In a two-page order, the court set the oral arguments on August 20.
Lawyer Paul Lawrence Lim, Duterte’s counsel for the grave threats case, filed last August 14 an omnibus motion asking the court to conduct a hearing and oral arguments on her motion to defer issuance of or recall arrest warrant and quash information.
In her manifestation, Duterte moved for the conduct of a hearing and oral arguments on the case citing as sanctioned by the Revised Guidelines for Continuous Trial in Criminal Cases.
Duterte stressed that the issues presented before the Court will have ‘serious, far-reaching and dangerous consequences in our country’s legal system and the stability of the Philippine government, considering that it involves the criminal prosecution of a sitting Vice President – an impeachable officer under Section 3, Article VII and Section 2, Article IX of the 1987 Constitution.’
On Monday, the DOJ submitted its comment expressing its opposition to Duterte’s motion to defer the issuance of arrest warrant and quash information.
‘With the filing of the Comment/Opposition to the Urgent Motion by the prosecution, the Court deems it prudent to set the instant case for hearing and oral arguments on 20 August 2026 at 8:30 o’clock in the morning pursuant to…the Revised Guidelines for Continuous Trial of Criminal Cases,’ the order read.
The grave threats information was filed by DOJ before the RTC in QC on August 11 after it found prima facie evidence with reasonable certainty of conviction to indict Duterte for the crime of grave threats under Article 282 of the Revised Penal Code in relation to Section 6 of Republic Act 10175 or the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012.
The said provision punishes ‘any person who shall threaten another with the infliction upon the person, honor or property of the latter or of his family of any wrong amounting to a crime.’
The DOJ recommended a bail of P120,000 for Duterte’s provisional liberty if the court issues a warrant of arrest.
It, however, dismissed the inciting to sedition against the Vice President after the panel of prosecutors found the evidence insufficient to file the case.
The case stemmed from Duterte’s statement made in during an online press briefing in November 2024 claiming that she had hired someone to assassinate President Marcos, First Liza Araneta-Marcos and then Speaker Martin Romualdez if a purported plot against her life succeeds.