VP Duterte: “I Don’t Trust the Court, I Don’t Trust the Police”

“VP Sara Duterte expresses her deep concerns about the justice system, stating, ‘I don’t trust the court; I don’t trust the police,’ to her legal team, Atty. Michael Poa and Atty. Paul Lawrence Lim, outside the Hall of Justice on September 5, 2026. This serves as a powerful reminder of the challenges Filipinos face in seeking true justice.

VP Duterte: “I Don’t Trust the Court, I Don’t Trust the Police”

By Bing Jabadan – TheNATIONWEEK.com | September 7, 2026

MANILA, Philippines – Vice President Sara Duterte posted ₱360,000 bail on Saturday, September 5, 2026, in response to an arrest warrant for three counts of grave threats issued by Quezon City RTC Judge Maria Angelica P. de Ramos. The charges stemmed from contentious remarks made in November 2024 against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and former Speaker Martin Romualdez.

Duterte’s court appearance, accompanied by legal counsel Michael Poa and Paul Lawrence Lim, transcended a mere legal formality, becoming a stark political declaration. Eschewing the typical defendant’s stance, the Vice President expressed profound fears for her safety and a startling lack of faith in the very institutions tasked with upholding justice and security.

A Scathing Indictment: “I Don’t Trust the Court, I Don’t Trust the Police”

Before entering the Hall of Justice, Duterte’s statements to the media were chillingly clear. “I do not feel safe; I really do not feel safe. I don’t trust the court; I don’t trust the police,” she declared, extending her distrust to her own security detail, which she claimed was appointed by the Marcos administration.

Her fears, she asserted, originated from alleged harassment against her family by unnamed authorities since 2023. She pointedly questioned accountability: “Who will answer for it if I die later tonight? Who will be held accountable?” This public challenge to the state’s protective capabilities underscored a crisis of confidence rarely articulated by a sitting high-ranking official.

Duterte’s 40-minute hesitation before entering the courthouse revealed her disturbing concerns: isolation in small elevators with police and unease over officers’ firearms. She dramatically invoked Senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr.’s 1983 assassination, asking her lawyers, “Do you remember that Ninoy Aquino died on the (airplane) staircase?” Her plea for journalists to accompany her to the fifth floor – “I want a lot of people to see it. I really don’t know what will happen to me in there” – was a stark appeal for media to serve as public witnesses against potential harm.

Legal Maneuvers and Constitutional Debate

Duterte’s legal team advised posting bail to prevent police custody while asserting that an impeachable officer cannot be criminally charged while in office. This claim was meticulously analyzed by former Sandiganbayan prosecutor Anthony Ludalvi A. Vista, an expert in corruption cases, who declared, “VP Sara cannot be arrested!” and argued she should not face criminal prosecution while in office.

Vista, in a legal commentary, contended that the grave threats case against Duterte should not proceed. He cited the Supreme Court’s recognition of “limited procedural immunity” for impeachable public officials during their tenure, specifically referencing Article XI, Section 2 of the 1987 Constitution and the Supreme Court’s July 25, 2025 ruling in Duterte v. House of Representatives (G.R. No. 278353). For Vista, if constitutional protection applies, the court should quash the Information and dismiss the case outright, arguing that impeachment should take precedence when an alleged criminal offense is also grounds for impeachment.

However, constitutional law professor Paolo Emmanuel Tamase of the University of the Philippines College of Law swiftly disputed this, underscoring that, unlike the President, the Vice President enjoys no constitutional immunity from criminal suits. He distinguished between impeachment proceedings and criminal liability, highlighting the profound historical significance of Duterte’s arrest proceedings as the highest-ranking sitting public official in Philippine history to face such criminal prosecution.

Unverified Allegations and Official Rebuttals

The Vice President’s allegations of government pressure and harassment against her family since 2023 remain unverified. Philippine National Police Chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. confirmed that Duterte had not reported any threats, stating, “To date, however, the Vice President has not reported to the PNP any threat to her life or to the safety of her family, including the threats she said date back to 2023.” Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla asserted that authorities “knew of her whereabouts the night before, but we did not force the warrant of arrest,” emphasizing that “The PNP accorded her all the respect her position deserves.”

As Duterte departed the Hall of Justice, greeted by chanting supporters, the scene served as a powerful visual coda to a day that exposed not only a high-stakes legal battle but also a deep fissure in public trust. This event resonated with broader questions about institutional integrity and political accountability in the Philippines, marking a profound moment in the nation’s political history and underscoring the volatile interplay between power, perception, and the rule of law.

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