Palace: No one above the law amid VP Duterte's business ties

Malacañang on Tuesday asserted that no one is above the law, a statement issued following testimonies from an official of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) regarding the business interests of Vice President Sara Duterte. This developed after Gerardo del Rosario, director of the SEC Company Registration and Monitoring Department, testified at Duterte's impeachment trial that the vice president remained on the Board of Directors of Metro City Chow Foods Corporation until 2025, well after she was elected to the post, despite a constitutional prohibition. "There is a law. The law is clear. So whatever is in the law, that should be followed, that should be what is implemented, so there is no need for one person to be above the law," the Palace spokesperson said in a press briefing. "So the word impunity should not be common. Whatever is in the law should be what is implemented," he added. Also during the impeachment trial on Monday, Del Rosario testified on the corporate records of 18 firms which either the vice president or her husband, lawyer Manases Carpio, allegedly owns or has business interests in. Del Rosario continued his testimony on Tuesday, wherein he affirmed that ownership of shares is evidence of participation in a business. Asked about Senator-Judge Raffy Tulfo's question asking why Duterte was not legally advised about her business dealings, the spokesperson declined to comment further. "We will not comment on that, VP Sara is grown and does not need advice, she knows what she is doing," the spokesperson said. Cross examination Duterte’s defense indicated that the records presented by the SEC did not necessarily prove any wrongdoing, casting doubt on the veracity of the documents. During its cross-examination, defense counsel Justin Nicol Gular asked about the unsigned and unsealed SEC audit summaries of Duterte’s businesses. “And you confirm that both these summaries that your office supposedly prepared are also unsigned or walang perma po ng kahit sinuman? Tama po ba?” Gular asked the witness, SEC officer Gerardo del Rosario. Del Rosario answered in the affirmative. The defense counsel also asked the SEC witness if he could not confirm that Duterte received anything. “You cannot confirm whether, based on the net income report, na may natanggap ang bise presidente diyan?” Gular asked Del Rosario. Del Rosario again answered in the affirmative. —VDV/NB, GMA News