Sara Duterte impeachment trial: Witness testifies on VP's alleged business interests

On the 27th day of the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, testimony emerged alleging that she maintained directorships and shareholder interests in private businesses from 2016 up to 2025, even after assuming her current office. Gerardo Fernando Del Rosario, Director of the SEC Company Registration and Monitoring Department, testified on the corporate records of 18 companies in which the Vice President or her husband, Atty. Manases Carpio, have ownership or business interests. This included testimony that the Vice President did not relinquish her post as one of the Board of Directors of Metro City Chow Foods Corporation since she assumed office as Vice President on June 30, 2022. Based on SEC records, she was still listed as a Director in the company’s General Information Sheets (GIS) for 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025. Article 7, Section 13 of the Constitution prohibits the President and Vice President from practicing any other profession, participating in any business, or being financially interested in any contract, franchise, or special privilege granted by the government or any of its subdivisions, agencies, or instrumentalities, including government-owned or controlled corporations or their subsidiaries, during their tenure. Furthermore, Del Rosario testified that 10 of the 18 companies did not declare dividends in multiple years covering 2004 to 2025, while the remaining eight companies did not submit any annual financial statements. Without financial statements, he stated, there is no basis to determine if these eight companies had paid dividends to their stockholders. Additionally, regarding Gencorp Industries, Inc., which the Vice President declared as one of her business interests in her 2024 and 2025 Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN), SEC corporate records do not show her as an incorporator or director. The prosecution panel highlighted this discrepancy between her declaration and the records, along with the absence of dividends, as grounds to question the credibility of her SALN declarations. In a separate development, the subpoena for Davao City Mayor Sebastian "Baste" Duterte, the Vice President's younger brother, and two others was recalled. The mayor was initially sought for testimony by prosecutors as he was listed as an official of Gencorp Industries, Inc. His expected appearance has been moved to between September 28 to 30. The trial marks a critical juncture in addressing transparency and accountability for public officials in Philippine politics. Allegations of business involvement by the Vice President raise concerns about potential conflicts of interest in public service and public trust. Source: GMA News Philippines