A Philippine court has officially postponed the arraignment of Vice President Sara Duterte regarding allegations that she issued "grave threats" against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the First Lady, and House Speaker Martin Romualdez. Defense attorney Paul Lim confirmed that the court granted a motion to delay the proceedings, allowing the Vice President to avoid entering a plea for the time being. This development follows a tense week where Duterte had already posted bail after an arrest order was issued against her.

The legal charges stem from controversial comments Duterte made during a 2024 press conference, where she claimed she had instructed a hitman to assassinate the President and his associates should she be killed herself. While Duterte, the daughter of former President Rodrigo Duterte, has denied any wrongdoing and insisted her words were taken out of context, a conviction could carry a six-month prison sentence and potentially jeopardize her political future, including her ambitions for the 2028 presidential race. Beyond this criminal case, the incident has also fueled an ongoing impeachment complaint currently being heard by the Senate.