Baste Duterte Denies Awareness of Sister VP Sara's Alleged GenCorp Link

Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte has stated that he and other city officials were unaware of any alleged link between his sister, Vice President Sara Duterte, and GenCorp Industries Inc. In a statement released late Monday evening, Baste Duterte confirmed that transactions between the Davao City government and GenCorp amounted to over P33.2 million across 19 contracts. "I, and all other officials and employees of the City Government of Davao, never had any knowledge of Vice President Sara Z. Duterte holding an interest in GENCORP INDUSTRIES INC.," he asserted. He further added, "Furthermore, neither the name Sara Zimmerman Duterte nor the surname 'Duterte' appears in any of the official documents, such as, among others, the Articles of Incorporation, submitted by GENCORP INDUSTRIES INC. across the 19 contracts and transactions in question." Mayor Baste Duterte is scheduled to testify in his sister's impeachment trial from September 28 to 30. He pointed out that GenCorp was evaluated in each transaction and determined to have submitted the lowest calculated responsive bid or offer. He also stated that all 19 transactions had been processed, reported, and published on the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS), indicating that the transactions were above board. Of the 19 contracts with GenCorp, Baste Duterte said 13 had been completed while six remained ongoing. Four contracts were secured through competitive public bidding, while the other 15 were undertaken through small-value procurement, he explained. "I remain steadfast in my commitment to transparency, fairness and the absolute truth. This statement is issued ahead of any so-called lawful proceedings as I believe that the people, especially the people of the City of Davao, have the right to know," Baste Duterte said. Vice President Duterte declared GenCorp as one of her business interests in her Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN). However, based on the firm’s General Information Sheet and Audited Financial Statement submitted to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), GenCorp did not list her as an incorporator or director. This was confirmed by SEC Company Registration and Monitoring Department Director Gerardo Fernando del Rosario on Monday, Day 27 of the impeachment trial of the Vice President. —AOL, GMA News