Sen. Christopher “Bong” Go raised doubts on Friday about why authorities moved now to seek the arrest of Vice President Sara Duterte, pointing to the impeachment proceedings underway in the Senate as reason for his unease.
“The timing (is suspect), considering that there is an ongoing impeachment,” said Go, who also serves as a senator-judge in the impeachment court. He noted that the tribunal had only just wrapped up its deliberations on the prosecution’s first article, which rested on the very same grave threats allegation now driving the criminal case. The panel has since moved on to arguments over an article dealing with confidential funds.
Speaking to Senate reporters in an unscheduled interview, Go returned repeatedly to the question of why the matter surfaced when it did. “I’m just puzzled by the timing. Why now when the deliberations here are ongoing?” he said. He observed that the underlying incident dated back close to two years, adding, “Didn’t it happen almost two years ago already? Given the length of time that has passed, why is it being released now? Why was it only filed at this time?”
The warrant traces back to remarks Duterte made during an online press conference in November 2024, when she claimed to have arranged for someone to kill President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos, and then-House Speaker Martin Romualdez should she herself be killed.
Dated September 4, 2025, the order came from the Quezon City Regional Trial Court after it determined there was probable cause to try Duterte on three counts of grave threats. The court fixed bail at P120,000 per count, bringing the total to P360,000.
Pressed on whether the development amounted to pressure on the vice president, Go steered clear of the question, framing it as beyond his remit. “It’s now a matter in court. We have courts that we follow. We also have our own process here. Impeachment is different from a court proceeding,” he said. He also brushed aside a query about whether Duterte would go through the standard booking and mugshot steps applied to others taken into custody, saying only, “I have no further comment on the procedures.”
A longtime ally of the Duterte camp, Go voiced confidence that the vice president could weather the ordeal. “Vice President Duterte is used to situations like these… She can handle it. I believe she can,” he said, adding that he expected her legal team to be readying every available remedy on her behalf.
