Philippines courts issue arrest warrants for Sara Duterte and Martin Romualdez

Philippine courts have issued arrest warrants against Vice President Sara Duterte and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez in separate legal proceedings.

Sara Duterte faces three counts of grave threats following remarks made in November 2024. Prosecutors allege she threatened to hire a hitman to assassinate President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the First Lady, and Martin Romualdez. Duterte has denied the allegations, claiming her comments were taken out of context and characterizing the prosecution as political harassment. She posted bail totaling ₱360,000 to lift the warrant.

Separately, the Sandiganbayan court issued arrest warrants for Martin Romualdez and several others, including former House representative Zaldy Co, in connection with a plunder case. Prosecutors allege the group received approximately ₱7.44 billion (roughly $118 million) in kickbacks and commissions related to government infrastructure and flood-control projects between 2022 and 2025. Unlike the Duterte case, no bail was recommended for the plunder charges.