VICE President Sara Duterte on Tuesday suffered a legal setback after the Quezon City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 98 junked her motion calling for the inhibition of the presiding judge handling the grave threats cases filed against her.
In a statement, Duterte’s legal counsel Paul Lawrence Lim confirmed receiving notice of the court’s decision.
Duterte earlier accused the court of aiding the prosecution in establishing probable cause after it directed them to submit evidence that was not included in their original submission.
She also insisted that Presiding Judge Maria Angelica De Ramos should recuse herself as she and her son were appointed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
The court junked Duterte’s appeal for “utter lack of merit.”
“All told, absent any clear and convincing evidence of actual bias, prejudgment, or an improper connection that reasonably calls the undersigned’s impartiality into question, the undersigned sees no cogent reason for her to inhibit or recuse herself from hearing these cases,” De Ramos said.
Duterte’s legal counsel, Paul Lawrence Lim, confirmed receipt of the court order denying their motion.
“The vice president will exercise all available remedies. We also received the court’s order requiring both parties to strictly comply with the sub judice rule and to refrain from publicly discussing the merits of the case,” Lim said.
The Department of Justice filed three counts of grave threats against Duterte arising from her controversial remarks during an online press conference in November 2024 that she talked to someone to kill President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., first lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and then-House speaker Martin Romualdez if something happened to her.
The court ordered Duterte’s arrest on Sept. 4. She posted bail the next day.
“The vice president will exercise all available remedies. We also received the court’s order requiring both parties to strictly comply with the sub judice rule and to refrain from publicly discussing the merits of the case,” Lim said.
“We will continue to comply, consistent with the vice president’s respect for the rule of law,” he added.
Duterte’s online outburst in October and December 2024 were also the basis for Article IV of articles of impeachment against her.
