MANILA — Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio will pursue further legal remedies in her grave threats case after a Quezon City judge rejected her bid to have the magistrate step aside from the proceedings, her legal team said Tuesday.
Lawyer Paul Lawrence Lim confirmed that the Vice President’s camp received the Sept. 14 order of the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 98 denying its motion for voluntary inhibition.
Presiding Judge Maria Angelica De Ramos ruled that there was insufficient basis for her to recuse herself from handling the case.
“The Vice President will exercise all available remedies,” Lim said. “We will continue to comply, consistent with the Vice President’s respect for the rule of law.”
The statement signaled that Duterte-Carpio’s lawyers intend to continue challenging aspects of the proceedings even as the criminal case against her moves forward.
Lim said the court also directed both parties to strictly observe the sub judice rule, which restricts public discussion of the merits of a pending case.
Duterte-Carpio is facing three counts of grave threats stemming from statements she made during an online press conference in 2024.
During the press conference, the Vice President said she had spoken with someone who would kill President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos and then House Speaker Martin Romualdez if she were killed.
The Quezon City court issued an arrest warrant against Duterte-Carpio on Sept. 4. She posted bail the following day.
Her arraignment was originally scheduled for Sept. 11 but was postponed after her lawyers sought De Ramos’ voluntary inhibition from the case.
With the motion now denied, Duterte-Carpio’s legal team is expected to explore other remedies while complying with the court’s directives as the grave threats case proceeds./PN
