MANILA. Philippine police filed criminal complaints against Vice President Sara Duterte and her security staff on Wednesday, accusing them of assaulting authorities and disobeying orders during a recent altercation in Congress. The complaints, lodged by Quezon City police, come amid rising tensions between Duterte and the Marcos administration.
The criminal charges are separate from other legal actions related to Duterte’s controversial public statements. The vice president recently threatened to have President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., his wife Liza, and House Speaker Martin Romualdez assassinated if she were killed in an alleged plot. Duterte has not provided details about the purported plot, but her remarks have sparked significant public attention.
In a related move, presidential adviser Larry Gadon filed a petition with the Supreme Court, seeking to disbar Duterte as a lawyer due to her assassination threats, which he described as “illegal, immoral, and condemnable.”
The criminal complaints filed against Duterte and her aides stem from a chaotic incident in the House of Representatives over the weekend. The altercation involved Zuleika Lopez, Duterte’s chief of staff, who was temporarily detained after being accused of obstructing a congressional inquiry into alleged misuse of confidential and intelligence funds by Duterte’s office. Lopez was being transferred to a women’s prison when tensions escalated, prompting Duterte and her staff to intervene. Lopez was later moved to a government hospital, where she remains confined.
National police chief Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil emphasized the importance of the rule of law, stating, “No one, regardless of their position, should be above accountability.” He stressed that the police are committed to enforcing lawful orders and maintaining public order. “Resistance and disobedience to a person in authority not only violates the law but also undermines public trust,” Marbil added.
In a separate development, the Department of Justice is investigating potentially seditious remarks made by former President Rodrigo Duterte, Sara Duterte’s father. In a recent press conference, he suggested that the civilian government would only listen to the military on corruption and irregularities, citing a fractured governance. While he denied urging the military to rise against President Marcos, justice officials have confirmed they will proceed with an investigation.
In response to the criminal complaints, Vice President Sara Duterte broadly denied the allegations, claiming that the government’s actions were part of a broader effort to remove her from office, freeze her assets, and prevent her from traveling abroad. Speaking to reporters, Duterte dismissed the accusations, calling them “oppression and harassment” based on remarks “taken out of logical context.”
Duterte also addressed the rift with President Marcos, stating that she no longer believed reconciliation was possible. “I really believe that we have reached a point of no return,” she said.
The situation has further strained the relationship between Duterte and Marcos, who were once political allies during the 2022 elections. Their falling out, which includes disagreements over policies related to China’s territorial claims in the South China Sea and the controversial anti-drug crackdown led by former President Duterte, has deepened since Sara Duterte resigned from the Marcos Cabinet in June.
In the meantime, the vice president’s office received a subpoena on Tuesday, inviting her to respond to investigators about the assassination threats she made. Duterte maintains that the threats were not intended as direct calls to action but as expressions of concern for her safety.
As the legal and political drama unfolds, President Marcos has vowed to uphold the rule of law, describing Duterte’s threats as part of a criminal plot. The ongoing tension between the two leaders highlights the deep political divisions within the Philippines.
Si Venus L Peñaflor ay naging editor-in-chief ng Newsworld, isang lokal na pahayagan ng Laguna. Publisher din siya ng Daystar Gazette at Tutubi News Magazine. Siya ay isa ring pintor at doll face designer ng Ninay Dolls, ang unang Manikang Pilipino. Kasali siya sa DesignCrowd sa rank na #305 sa 640,000 graphic designers sa buong daigdig. Kasama din siya sa unang Local TV Broadcast sa Laguna na Beyond Manila. Aktibong kasapi siya ng San Pablo Jaycees Senate bilang isang JCI Senator.
