VP Duterte's arraignment delayed again due to pending Supreme Court petition

MANILA — The Quezon City Regional Trial Court postponed the arraignment of Vice President Sara Duterte on Friday, deferring proceedings while a petition for certiorari remains pending before the Supreme Court. Duterte faces three counts of grave threats in the case. Her legal counsel, Paul Laurence Lim, confirmed that RTC Branch 98 decided to hold the arraignment in abeyance pending resolution of the high court petition, a procedural move that effectively halts lower court proceedings until the Supreme Court weighs in on the matter. The postponement marks another delay in the legal proceedings against the vice president, who has consistently denied the allegations. The specific details of the Supreme Court petition were not immediately disclosed, though such certiorari filings typically seek to overturn or modify lower court decisions or procedures. Duterte's legal team has mounted an aggressive defense, with the certification challenge representing another avenue through which her lawyers are contesting the case. The next scheduled date for proceedings remains uncertain, contingent upon the Supreme Court's handling of the petition.