Philippine police filed criminal complaints against Vice President Sara Duterte and her security staff on Wednesday. The charges stem from allegations of assaulting authorities and defying orders during a recent incident in Congress.
These complaints, lodged by Quezon City police, are separate from potential legal actions linked to Duterte's public threats. She had warned of retaliatory measures, including assassinating President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., his wife, and the House Speaker, if she faced harm in an unspecified plot. Duterte has not provided details of this alleged threat.
Adding to the controversy, Presidential Adviser Larry Gadon filed a Supreme Court petition to disbar Duterte as a lawyer. He cited her assassination threats, calling them "illegal, immoral, and condemnable."
The ongoing feud between the Marcos and Duterte political camps marks a critical point in a power struggle between two of the Philippines' most influential families.
The Department of Justice is also scrutinizing comments by former President Rodrigo Duterte, Sara Duterte's father. He recently suggested that the military's intervention might be necessary to address governance issues under Marcos. While he denied urging a coup, he stated, "It is only the military who can correct it." Justice officials said they will investigate the former president's remarks.
The criminal complaints against Sara Duterte and her team include charges of assault, disobedience, and grave coercion, punishable by imprisonment and fines. These stem from a chaotic scene in the House of Representatives over the weekend. Her chief of staff, Zuleika Lopez, was temporarily detained for allegedly obstructing a congressional inquiry into misuse of confidential funds.
Tensions escalated when authorities ordered Lopez's transfer to a women's prison. Sara Duterte and her staff intervened, resisting the move. Lopez was eventually moved to a government hospital, where she remains.
National Police Chief Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil defended the charges, emphasizing the importance of accountability. "The rule of law is fundamental to our democracy. No one is above it," Marbil said. He added that resistance to authority undermines public trust and disrupts order.
On Tuesday, authorities subpoenaed Duterte to answer questions about her recent threats. She claimed her statements were not direct threats but expressions of concern for her safety.
President Marcos condemned the vice president's threats against him, his wife Liza Marcos, and House Speaker Martin Romualdez. In a televised address, he labeled them a "criminal plot" and pledged to uphold the rule of law.
Marcos and Duterte ran on a unity platform in the 2022 elections, winning by a landslide. However, their relationship has soured due to policy disagreements, including views on China's territorial claims and Rodrigo Duterte's controversial anti-drug campaign.
Sara Duterte resigned from the Marcos Cabinet in June, leaving her roles as education secretary and anti-insurgency chief. She has since become one of Marcos' fiercest critics, deepening the political divide.
This unfolding conflict underscores the volatile dynamics within Philippine politics, where alliances can shift rapidly.
